AN  28  19ie 


JAN  28  1916 


BV  3790  .G78  1910 
Green,  0.  Olin  b.  1868 
Normal  evangelism 


Normal  Evangelism 


Normal  Evangelism 


( 

v'       By 
O.  OLIN  GREEN,  A.  B.,  Th.  M. 

Pastor-Evangelist 
Epyov  Tzoi-qaov  euayyeXtffzod — 2  Tim.  iv.  ^ 


Introduction  by 
PROF.  BYRON  H.  DeMENT,  Th.  D.,  D.  D. 

Chair  Sunday- School  Pedagogy,  Southern  Baptist 
Theological  Seminary^  Louisville,  Ky. 


New  York        Chicago        Toronto 

Fleming  H.    Revell   Company 

London       and        Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1910,  by 
FLEMING   H.   REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      100    Princes    Street 


To 

John  Priest  Greene,  D.  D.,  LL,  D, 

President  William  Jewell  College^ 

with  love  and  esteem 


Introduction 

I  APPRECIATE  the  privilege  of  saying  a 
brief  word  introductory  to  the  sane  and 
timely  treatise  on  "  Normal  Evangelism " 
written  by  my  good  friend,  Rev.  O.  O.  Green, 
the  beloved  and  efficient  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  of  Versailles,  Kentucky. 

The  theme  is  well  chosen  and  the  author  has 
presented  his  thoughts  in  a  clear,  simple,  pointed 
and  practical  manner.  He  has  had  a  variety  of 
experiences  in  several  successful  pastorates, 
country,  village  and  city,  and  has  made  good  use 
of  his  eyes,  his  head,  his  heart  and  his  voice. 
He  is  therefore  now  competent  to  use  his  pen, 
which  he  does  in  a  fraternal,  courageous  and 
helpful  fashion. 

The  book  is  worthy  of  an  extensive  circulation, 
and  a  careful  perusal  will  prove  a  blessing  to 
parents,  teachers,  pastors  and  evangelists.  I  am 
personally  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  author  has 
practiced,  with  notable  success,  what  he  recom- 
mends to  others  for  their  serious  consideration. 

The  days  of  evangelism  of  the  Scriptural  and 
normal  type  should  never  pass  away  for  even  a 
brief  season.  True  revivals  of  religion  will  al- 
ways be  needed  to  awaken  the  slumbering  con- 
7 


8  Introduction 

sciences  of  men  to  a  vivid  realization  of  spiritual 
truth  and  duty.  To-day  there  is  a  strong  cur- 
rent of  opposition  to  revivals.  This  stream  is 
fed  by  the  tides  of  thought  issuing  from  the 
theory  of  salvation  by  education — Christianity  by 
development.  We  should  indeed  recognize  the 
changed  conditions  in  family,  school  and  state. 
But  we  should  also  keep  in  mind  the  unchanged 
fact  that  all  have  sinned  and  therefore  need  a 
personal  Saviour.  As  there  are  certain  physical 
constants  in  natural  science,  so  there  are  spiritual 
constants  in  the  religious  sphere — God,  man, 
truth,  salvation.  God  is  love  and  Christ,  His 
Son,  the  only  Saviour  ;  the  Holy  Spirit  the  sole 
regenerator;  man  is  a  sinner,  as  of  old,  only 
more  refined  and  varied  in  his  iniquity ;  truth, 
the  revealed  and  only  saving  message  of  life  is 
found  in  the  Gospel,  which  was  and  is  and  ever 
more  shall  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to 
every  one  that  believeth  ;  salvation  is  a  personal 
act  of  God  in  delivering  the  beheving  soul  from 
sin  and  death  on  the  meritorious  ground  of  the 
vicarious  work  of  Christ,  and  through  the  medium 
of  inteUigent  faith. 

The  wisest  teaching  from  infancy,  or  from 
three  generations  past  to  counteract  heredity,  is 
impotent  to  save  except  as  it  inclines  the  heart 
and  persuades  the  will  to  turn  from  sin  to  Christ. 
It  should  never  be  forgotten  that  Christianity  is 
primarily  a  matter  between  the  soul  and  its  Lord 


Introduction  g 

— it  is  a  transaction  between  persons,  the  one  a 
sinner,  the  other  the  sinless  One,  Jesus,  the 
Christ.  After  hfe,  after  the  transaction,  comes 
growth,  progress.  Salvation  as  an  event  pre- 
pares for  Christianity  as  a  life.  "  He  that  hath 
the  Son  hath  life :  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  of 
God  hath  not  hfe."  This  declaration  shows  that 
the  difference  between  the  person  who  has  Christ 

by  faith — the  only  vital  way  to  possess  Him 

and  the  one  who  has  Him  not,  because  he  be- 
lieves not,  is  the  difference  between  hfe  and  death. 
The  one  has  life  and  is  therefore  spiritually  alive : 
the  other  has  not  life  and  is  consequently  spirit- 
ually dead.  When  the  Christ-life  becomes  the 
life  of  the  individual  by  personal  faith,  then  the 
motto  for  the  future  should  be — "  For  me  to  live 
is  Christ."  It  is  the  nature  of  life  to  manifest 
itself— it  is  demonstrative,  communicative,  self- 
evidencing.  The  natural  vital  impulse  of  the 
saved  soul  is  to  bring  others  to  the  Saviour  it  has 
found.  This  is  the  pyschology  of  evangelism. 
A  helpful  experience  seeks  reproduction  in  other 
lives.  It  wishes  to  propagate  itself.  The  lan- 
guage of  every  converted  soul  to  the  lost  is  this 
— "  I  would  to  God  that  you  were  altogether  such 
as  I  am,  except  my  limitations  and  imperfections." 
The  very  nature  of  the  new  creature  in  Christ 
Jesus  is  missionary.  The  great  commission  is 
but  an  authoritative  deliverance  which  the  soul  of 
the  believer  is  ready  most  heartily  to  accept  as 


lo  Introduction 

being  the  only  task  in  harmony  with  his  own 
spiritual  experience,  the  mediatorial  work  of 
Christ  and  the  deepest  needs  of  the  world.  It  is 
in  the  new  spiritual  transformation  of  the  life  of 
the  saved  that  we  find  the  true  motive  of  evan- 
gelism by  the  Church  as  the  body  of  Christ 
rather  than  by  a  select  group  of  men  officially 
appointed.  Soul-winning,  therefore,  must  ever 
be  the  supreme  work  of  the  entire  body  of  the 
redeemed,  individually  and  organically.  The 
spirit  of  the  individual  believer  and  that  of  the 
Church  as  the  body  of  Christ  must  be  evangelistic, 
or  else  fail  to  reproduce  the  mind  of  Christ  and 
fulfill  His  redemptive  purpose.  So  then,  evan- 
gelism is  not  an  exclusively  ministerial  function. 
Essentially  it  is  founded  upon  the  love  of  God — 
authoritatively  upon  the  command  of  Christ — 
and  psychologically  upon  the  experience  of  the 
believer.  The  number  of  divinely  appointed 
evangelists  is  coextensive  with  the  multitude  of 
the  redeemed.  The  twofold  purpose  of  living 
after  we  are  saved  is  to  save  others  and  to  grow 
in  Christian  character. 

Silent  evangelism  may  be  more  potent  than 
even  vocal  evangelism.  The  influence  of  every 
Christian  should  be  Christ-ward,  Our  httle  lives, 
if  they  have  any  spiritual  power  at  all,  are  mag- 
netized by  Him,  who  is  drawing  the  world  unto 
Himself.  As  our  attractive  power  is  derived 
from  Him  it  should  always  be  exerted  in  drawing 


Introduction  1 1 

men  to  Him.  Evangelism  is  not  synonymous 
with  public  appeal — a  private  word — a  longing 
look — a  Christian  hand-grasp — an  affectionate 
note — a  faithful  hfe,  may  win  to  Christ,  when  the 
eloquent  address  seems  but  a  sounding  brass,  or 
a  clanging  cymbal.  The  Uttle  soul-touching  and 
soul-winning  ministries  within  the  reach  of  the 
humblest  child  of  God  may  give  life  a  royalty 
and  richness  that  show  it  is  indeed  a  heavenly 
gift.  By  virtue  of  the  salvation  experienced,  Hfe 
prolonged,  the  promises  given,  the  father,  mother, 
brother,  sister,  neighbour,  friend  and  teacher,  as 
well  as  pastor  and  professional  evangelist,  belong 
to  the  company  of  soul-winners  which  angels 
would  deUght  to  join.  Therefore,  from  the  quiet 
of  the  fireside,  the  spiritual  atmosphere  of  a  Sun- 
day-school, the  tender  memories  of  the  prayer- 
meeting,  the  earnest  invitation  of  the  regular 
service,  let  us  expect  lost  ones  to  come  forth  in 
simple  faith  and  obedient  spirit  to  take  up  their 
cross  daily  and  follow  Jesus. 

The  best  Christian  teaching  in  home  and 
Sunday-school  is  both  an  agency  of  direct  and 
effective  evangelism  and  preparation  for  a  pro- 
found and  wide-spread  religious  revival  character- 
ized by  great  sanity  and  spiritual  power.  The 
era  of  evangelism  upon  which  we  have  entered 
emphasizes  individual  work  for  individuals — each 
Christian  is  expected  to  win  a  sinner  and  send 
him  forth  to  lead  some  one  else  to  Christ,  while 


12  Introduction 

he,  himself,  persists  in  the  glorious  work.  Thus 
the  company  of  the  redeemed,  winning  men  one 
by  one,  accelerates  the  missionary  movement 
until  we  are  drawing  near  the  brightening  day 
when  every  lost  seal,  at  home  and  abroad,  on 
land  and  on  sea,  shall  have  the  privilege  of  hear- 
ing and  heeding  the  Master's  call. 

Never  was  there  such  an  opportunity  for  the 
average  church-member,  never  such  for  the  ordi- 
nary preacher,  and  never  such  for  the  minister  of 
ten  talents.  These  are  epochal  times.  Ours  are 
days  of  destiny.  It  is  a  great  privilege  to  be 
living  in  the  twentieth  century ;  especially  so  if 
we  are  truly  alive  to  the  magnitude  of  our  task 
and  the  magnificence  of  our  opportunity.  Ob- 
ligation is  the  moral  side  of  opportunity.  Let 
the  Church  respond  to  the  call  to  evangelism, 
which  is  as  high  as  heaven,  as  deep  as  sin  and  as 
broad  as  humanity.  The  greatest  need  of  the 
day  is  for  each  man  to  do  his  best  in  cooperation 
with  all  the  rest. 

When  the  Church  becomes  the  evangelizing 
power  it  ought  to  be,  what  kind  of  a  revival  may 
we  expect  ?  Not  an  exact  duplicate  of  any  in 
the  past  in  its  external,  physical  demonstrations, 
and  psychological  phenomena,  but  one  transcend- 
ing everything  in  Christian  history,  in  its  heav- 
enly serenity,  in  its  moral  depth,  and  in  its  spirit- 
ual fruitage. 

It    would   be    best   to   eliminate   the   abnor- 


Introduction  13 

malities,  pathological  manifestations  of  some  of 
the  more  striking  revivals  of  the  past  few  centu- 
ries ;  but  it  would  be  worse  than  unfortunate  for 
the  process  to  be  carried  so  far  as  to  destroy  the 
revival  itself.  It  is  unwise  to  cure  a  disease  by 
killing  the  patient.  Revivals  are  of  divine  origin 
and  when  conducted  in  the  spirit  of  wisdom,  as 
well  as  of  fervour,  when  the  zeal  displayed  is 
tempered  with  knowledge,  they  will  continue  to 
receive  heaven's  approval  until  a  prodigal  world  is 
brought  back  to  the  Father's  house.  God  give 
us  a  perennial  revival  in  all  of  our  churches — 
country,  village,  city  ;  home  and  foreign,  with  fre- 
quent and  special  seasons  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord. 

Believing  that  this  result  will  be  hastened  by 
the  admirable  volume  herein  presented,  I,  there- 
fore, commend  "Normal  Evangelism"  to  the 
thoughtful  and  prayerful  consideration  of  all 
who  desire  to  be  wise  in  winning  souls  and  hope 
to  shine  as  lights  in  this  world  and  as  suns  in  the 
kingdom  of  their  Father. 

Byron  H.  DeMent. 

Southern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary ^ 
Louisville y  Ky. 


Preface 

SOME  five  years  ago  I  was  asked  to  prepare 
and  read  a  paper  before  the  State  Baptist 
Ministers'  Meeting  of  Kentucky  on  the 
theme :  "  The  Pastor  His  Own  Evangehst."  The 
paper,  however,  was  not  read  because  of  the 
writer's  inability  to  attend  the  meeting.  While 
writing  on  the  theme  given  me  I  became  thor- 
oughly absorbed  in  it  chiefly  because  I  had 
already  become  interested  in  the  practical  side 
of  the  question.  At  that  time  I  was  convinced 
that  there  was  material  in  the  subject  for  a  small 
volume,  and  entertained  vague  thoughts  that 
some  day — if  the  Lord  would  enable  me  to  do 
so — I  would  write  that  volume;  but  not  until 
one  year  ago  did  I  summon  courage  to  set 
myself  to  the  task. 

The  original  paper  was  read  before  the  St. 
Louis  Baptist  Ministers'  Conference,  and  the 
Blue  Grass  Baptist  Ministers'  Association,  Lex- 
ington, Ky.  The  interest  manifested  in  the 
theme  by  the  brethren  of  these  two  bodies  stimu- 
lated me  to  attempt  the  elaboration  of  the  original 
paper  into  a  book.  Another  cause  was  the  grow- 
ing conviction  that  Christian  people  generally, 
including  ministers,  are  not  deeply  interested  in 
15 


l6  Preface 

evangelism.  While  there  is  a  wide-spread  inter- 
est in  evangelism,  much  of  it  is  what  may  be 
termed  a  sympathetic  interest :  we  like  to  hear 
about  evangelistic  work  being  done :  we  enjoy 
seeing  it  done :  we  rejoice  in  having  it  done  for 
us  :  but  when  it  comes  to  doing  the  work  our- 
selves we  are  sadly  lacking.  Hence  there  has 
arisen  a  sort  of  proxy  evangelism  which  pastors 
and  churches  have  resorted  to  as  a  palliative  for 
their  own  consciences  ;  it  is  a  kind  of  half-hearted 
evangelism  which  says :  "  Now  we  believe  in 
evangelism  and  it  must  be  done  but  we  will  just 
get  some  one  else  to  do  it  for  us."  When  pastors 
and  churches  are  aroused  to  a  sense  of  their  obliga- 
tion to  engage  with  their  whole  hearts  in  the 
actual  work  of  saving  the  lost,  then  indeed  will 
there  be  upon  us  such  a  day  of  personal  evangel- 
ism as  has  never  before  been  witnessed,  but  which 
we  may  hope  to  witness  before  the  return  of  our 
Lord  to  earth.  As  an  aid  towards  this  end 
the  present  volume  on  "  Normal  Evangelism  "  is 
now  sent  forth. 

The  Author. 


Contents 


THE  NEW  ERA  OF  EVANGELISM 

History  of  Christianity  a  record  of  the  rise  and  decline 
of  interest  in  spiritual  things — Three  evangelistic 
movements  in  two  hundred  years — We  are  entering  a 
new  era  of  evangelism — Unanimity  of  thought 
among  leaders — Characteristics  of  the  new  era — (i) 
A  more  practical  view  as  to  the  working  of  the  Holy 
Spirit — (2)  The  Scriptural  idea  of  evangelism — (3) 
The  psychic  side  of  evangelism — (4)  Deeper  con- 
victions as  to  doctrine,  experience  and  duty — (5)  The 
churches  the  centres  of  missionary  and  evangelistic 
effort — (6)  Pastors'  new  visions  of  possibilities — (7) 
Awakening  among  lay-members  of  churches — (8) 
The  new  era  will  be  a  return  to  ideas  and  principles 
of  New  Testament  era 25 

II 

THE  PASSING  OF  THE  PROFESSIONAL 
EVANGELIST 
The  protest  is  not  against  professional  evangelists  so  much 
as  against  undue  reliance  upon  them  as  a  means  of 
evangelism — Need  for  an  evangelism  which  develops 
pastors  and  churches — A  modern  error — No  revival 
without  a  "revivalist  " — Modern  evangelist  character- 
ized— (I)  Thought  by  some  to  be  a  panacea — (2) 
He  leads  people  to  expect  great  things  of  him — (3) 
Measures  piety  of  community  by  willingness  to  re- 
spond to  his  propositions — (4)  Looked  upon  as  sort 
of  spiritual  enchanter — (5)  Becomes  a  religious  boss 
— (6)  Makes  effort  to  create  sensations — (7)  After 
he  is  gone  pastors  find  difficulties  multiplied — (8) 
Standard  set  abnormal — Question  as  to  whether 
office  is  Scriptural — Is  he  not  needed  more  in  other 
capacities  ? — Growing  distrust  as  to  value  of  his  work 
— Does  not  preach  a  whole  Gospel — Plea  for  sane 
evangelism 41 

17 


l8  Contents 


III 
THE  PASTOR  AS  AN  EVANGELIST 

Two  exhortations  the  pastor  must  not  lose  sight  of;  (i) 
Feed  the  flock,  (2)  Do  the  work  of  an  evangehst — 
A  restatement  of  Great  Commission — A  pastor  who 
preaches  a  whole  Gospel  is  an  evangelist — Pastors 
have  failed  in  evangelism  because  they  have  not  had 
a  right  conception  of  pastoral  office — Evangelistic 
spirit  the  highest  qualification  for  the  pastor — When 
we  observe  the  spiritual  dearth  within  let  us  go  upon 
our  knees  to  God — Spirit  of  evangelism  very  low  in 
most  churches — Pastors  have  minimized  evangelistic 
gift — The  mistake  in  classifying  preachers — We  have 
not  lived  up  to  the  standard  which  we  had  at  begin- 
ning— What  the  evangelistic  effort  implies — A 
scholar  considered  above  making  effort  in  evangelism 
— Imperative  need  of  to-day  is  evangelistic  pastors 
— Every  pastor  an  evangelist 65 


IV 

THE  NORMAL  CHURCH  EVANGELISTIC 

Record  of  revival  after  Pentecost — Things  did  not  come 
to  standstill  with  early  disciples  as  with  us — They 
continued  steadfastly — The  church,  (i)  universal, 
(2)  local — The  normal  church  as  set  forth  in  Eph. 
iv.  1 1- 1 7,  (I)  Christ  head,  (2)  body  joined  and 
compacted  by  unity  of  individual  members,  (3) 
through  cooperation  body  increased — The  normal 
church  must  therefore  (i)  grow  of  itself,  (2)  be 
evangelistic,  (3)  be  a  serving  church,  (4)  be  a  posi- 
tive force  for  righteousness,  (5)  minister  to  the  needs 
of  the  whole  man,  (6)  recognize  her  sources  of 
power,  (7)  have  exalted  conceptions  of  the  ministry 
— Can  a  standard  of  normal  growth  be  maintained  ? 
— The  matter  largely  in  the  pastor's  hands — I-et  him 
(I)  preach  to  win  souls,  (2)  do  personal  work,  (3) 
instruct  the  people,  (4)  pray  and  think,  (5)  tell  the 
people  of  the  world's  needs,  (6)  secure  the  coopera- 
tion of  his  people,  (7)  seek  leading  of  Holy  Spirit, 
(8)  keep  a  firm  hold  on  God  by  faith        .        .        .      S^ 


Contents  19 


PASTORAL  LEADERSHIP  IN  EVANGELISM 

Pastors  must  become  leaders  in  all  evangelistic  work — 
There  are  difficulties:  (i)  securing  cooperation  of 
the  people,  (2)  making  additional  sermons,  (3)  do- 
ing personal  work — All  may  be  overcome.  Advan- 
tages :  (i)  Gives  the  pastor  a  better  hold  on  his  peo- 
ple— (2)  Widens  his  influence  throughout  whole 
community — (3)  Saving  of  time  and  energy — (4) 
Strengthens  pastor  and  people — (5)  It  is  easier  to 
continue  evangelistic  work  after  special  effort  has 
been  made — (6)  The  results  are  more  lasting — May 
be  conditions  under  which  it  is  better  to  secure  out- 
side aid  in  meetings — It  is  better  as  a  rule  for  pastors 
to  lead  their  own  churches  in  evangelistic  efforts — 
The  question  is  not :  For  whom  shall  we  send  ?  but ; 
"  Here  am  I ;  send  me  " 105 


VI 
THE  REVIVAL  IN  PREPARATION 

Preparation  is  necessary — Inward  preparation  most  im- 
portant— Necessity  of  prayer — Revival  must  begin  in 
hearts  of  people — (i)  Pray  in  secret,  (2)  Prayer- 
meeting  especially  for  prayer,  (3)  Prayer  in  the 
home,  (4)  Cottage  prayer-meetings,  (5)  Pray  for  in- 
ward cleansing,  (6)  Pray  for  inward  renewing,  (7) 
Pray  for  guiding  of  Holy  Spirit — A  Bible  read- 
ing revival — (i)  Start  people  to  reading  along  some 
definite  line,  (2)  Make  a  thorough  study  of  a  book 
in  the  Bible — Revival  singing — (i)  Good  collection 
of  songs,  (2)  Importance  of  congregational  sing- 
ing* (3)  Discretion  in  choice  of  songs,  (4)  The  invi- 
tation hymn,  (5)  Singers  trained,  (6)  Singing  char- 
acterized by  energy,  spirit,  life,  earnestness,  spirit  of 
prayer — Personal  visitation — ( i )  Territory  divided, 
(2)  Districts  assigned  to  workers,  (3)  Lists  made  of 
those  having  no  church  home,  of  tlie  unsaved,  of 
those  in  destitution — Advertising — (I)  Pulpit,  (2) 
Announcement  card,  (3)  Local  papers,  (4)  Personal 
invitation — Traifting  in  soul-winning — (1)  Wisdom 
of  Jesus  shown  in  training  others,  (2)  Wise  pastors 
will  do  likewise — Dr.  Cortland  Myers'  estimate  of 
the  work  of  soul-winning — Details  of  preparation — 


20  Contents 


Appoint  certain  ones  to  look  after  specific  duties — 
The  pastor's  preparation — (i)  Must  not  neglect  his 
own  spiritual  life,  (2)  Pray  a  great  deal,  (3)  Have  a 
knowledge  of  God's  Word,  (4)  Select  Uiemes  and 
gather  material  for  sermons,  (5)  Arrange  subjects 
before  meeting — Saving  of  time  and  nervous  energy     123 


VII 

THE  REVIVAL  IN  ACTION 
Revival  seasons  are  necessary— Must  not  get  into  "  revival 
habit  " — Pastor  and  people  should  be  in  harmony — 
Revival  entered  into  with  heart,  zeal,  and  a  deter- 
mined spirit  to  win  victory — Revival  time  one  of  joy 
— Not  looked  upon  as  season  for  a  good  time  gener- 
ally— Preacher  who  conducts  a  revival  should  also 
conduct  himself  as  a  Christian  gentleman — Preach 
Scriptures  not  daily  paper — Wise  preacher  will  not 
come  between  message  and  hearers — Preaching  must 
appeal  to  understanding,  reach  heart,  stir  conscience 
— Must  be  personal — Characterized  by  earnestness, 
zeal,  energy — The  man  and  his  methods — Unscrip- 
tural  methods  weaken  power  of  Gospel — False  stand- 
ard of  evangelism — People  can  be  won  to  Christ 
without  so-called  methods — Crying  need  not  man 
with  methods  but  man  with  message — Norm  for  pur- 
suing evangelistic  work  :  example  of  Jesus  and  Apos- 
tles— Emulate  their  simplicity  of  style  and  directness 
of  appeal — Fewer  and  simpler  methods  the  better — 
Practical  suggestions — (i)  Begin  services  on  time, 
(2)  Close  on  time,  (3)  Be  instant  in  prayer,  (4) 
Do  personal  work,  (5)  Avoid  excitement,  (6)  Plan 
to  conserve  results 14S 

VIII 
A  PLEA  FOR  THE  CHILDREN 

Jesus  had  an  interest  in  children — Heirs  of  the  kingdom 
— Question  :  How  are  infants  saved  ? — Children 
need  a  Saviour — Substance  of  Gospel  appreciated  by 
children — Experience  "  sense  of  incompleteness  " — 
Need  a  Saviour  from  sin — Need  help  to  bear  burdens 
— Sorrows  real — Need  sympathy  and  comfort — Sa- 
viour in  hour  of  death — Some  examples — May  become 
Christians  early — Enjoy  religion — Conversion  more 


Contents  21 

likely  to  be  real  than  that  of  adults :  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
remarkable  statement — Make  good  workers  for  the 
Lord — Peculiarly  fitted  to  be  soul-winners — We 
should  be  more  in  earnest  in  the  work  of  leading 
children  to  Jesus 167 

IX 
THE  WORK  OF  WINNING  THE  YOUNG 

This  work  belongs  to  every  disciple  of  Jesus  :  I.  Parents 
— ( I )  Character  building  begins  early — (2)  Duty  to 
help  children  lay  good  foundation — (3)  Make  more 
of  household  religion — (4)  Parents  God's  own  ap- 
pointed teachers — (5)  Sorrowful  neglect  of  some. 
II.  Sunday-school  teachers — (i)  Advantages — (2) 
Vision  of  possibilities — (3)  End  of  all  teaching  to 
lead  pupils  to  acceptance  of  Jesus — (4)  Most  favour- 
able age:  Mrs.  Lamoreaux's  timely  words— (5) 
Average  age  of  conversion  of  students  in  a  great 
theological  seminary — Teacher  wise  in  making  ap- 
peal.  III.  Superintendent — Either  help  or  hin- 
drance— (i)  Wise  and  tactful — (2)  Compassion  for 
the  lost — Two  examples  of  lost  children,  IV.  Pastor 
— Serious  mistake  to  overlook  ministry  to  children — 
(i)  Begin  in  home — (2)  Excellent  opportunity  in 
Sunday-school — (3)  Conducting  an  evangelistic  serv- 
ice for  children  and  young  people.  V.  Cautions — 
(I)  Do  not  speak  to  children  as  though  they  were 
little  angels — (2)  Do  not  play  upon  emotions — (3) 
They  are  prone  to  «*  follow  the  crowd  " — (4)  Do  not 
discourage  them  but  rather  encourage,  instruct,  and 
sympathize  with  them igj 

X 

WISDOM  IN  SOUL-WINNING 

We  must  appreciate  value  of  human  souls — Do  we  prize  a 
human  soul  as  highly  as  human  life  ? — As  we  ad- 
vance in  the  scale  of  civilization  we  estimate  more 
highly  both  the  life  and  the  soul — Influence  of  teach- 
ings of  Jesus — Deeper  conviction  as  to  reality  of  the 
death  from  which  the  sinner  is  to  be  saved — We  must 
see  humanity  through  the  eyes  of  the  Creator — Quali- 
fications for  the  soul-winner :  (i)  Personal  knowl- 
edge of  Christ  as  Saviour — (2)    Knowledge  of  Word 


22  Contents 

— general — specific — Passages  for  certain  individuals 
— (3)  Knowledge  of  human  nature — (4)  Avoid 
argument,  levity,  undue  emotion — (5)  Have  a  sym- 
pathetic heart — (6)  Realize  power  of  personal  touch 
— (7)    Keep  in  mind  the  soul-winner's  reward  .     207 


XI 
CONVERT  CULTURE 

Much  involved  in  Great  Commission — An  important 
part  overlooked — More  difficult  to  perform  last  part 
than  first — Example  of  Jesus  in  training  others  for 
service — Convert  culture  a  large  part  of  Paul's  min- 
istry— True  of  other  great  missionaries — Same  prin- 
ciple holds  in  work  at  home — Example  of  a  great 
church  where  teaching  factor  was  emphasized — Next 
to  winning  a  soul  is  the  training  of  a  life — Train  for 
best  service  possible — How  shall  work  of  convert 
culture  be  carried  on  ? — Pastor  can  do  much  by 
preaching — Believers  need  to  be  taught  fundamental 
doctrines — Taught  to  use  talents,  self-mastery,  be- 
come witnesses,  value  of  prayer — One  regular  serv- 
ice may  be  given  for  convert  culture — Pastor  must 
have  aid  of  people  in  this  and  all  other  forms  of  re- 
ligious work — Attitude  of  church-members  not  al- 
ways helpful  to  new  converts — Duty  of  strong  to  help 
weak — Older  members  a  more  hearty  interest  in 
younger — Need  of  present  hour :  cooperation  be- 
tween pastors  and  church  for  great  ends  set  forth  in 
the  Great  Commission — Editor  of  Interior  on  "  If 
the  pastor  falls  down  " — May  time  speedily  come 
when  Christians  generally  will  realize  their  part  in 
the  work  of  redeeming  the  world  !    .         .         .         •     225 


XII 

A  PLEA  FOR  RURAL  EVANGELISM 

Meaning  of  "  Rural  Evangelism  " — Not  so  much  evangel- 
istic work  in  country  now  as  formerly — City  and  na- 
tion need  good  influence  from  religious  life  in  country 
— The  country  church  as  a  factor  in  the  making  of 
nation — I.  Problems:  (I)  People  moving  away 
— (2)    Scanty  support  offered  to  pastors — (3)    Shift- 


Contents  23 

ing  classes  in  many  sections — (4)  Social  inequality 
— (5)  Conservatism — (6)  The  annual  revival — II. 
Needs:  (i)  New  ideals  of  livmg — (2)  More 
well-equipped  preachers — (3)  Cooperation  among 
churches  in  locating  pastors — (4)  Better  houses  of 
worship — (5)  Aid  and  sympathy  from  city  and  town 
— (6)  Simultaneous  revivals — III.  Advantages: 
( I )  Country  people  appreciate  the  Gospel — (2)  There 
normal  evangelism  has  its  weight — (3)  Results  are 
lasting  as  a  rule — Rural  communities  are  calling  to 
us  from  every  quarter — What  shall  we  do  ?  May  we 
hear  the  call  and  go  to  their  rescue !         .        .        .     243 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism 


"We  are  at  the  dawning  of  the  day  of  personal  evangelism, 
and  every  one  is  called  of  God. — Cortland  Myers, 

Of  this  I  am  sure :  unless  every  sign  be  false,  there  is  a  great 
wave  of  evangelical  revival  about  to  sweep  over  the  Churches 
of  America, —  W.  J.  Dawson. 

I  believe  with  all  my  heart  that  in  the  Southland — yes,  in 
the  North  and  "West — we  are  in  the  day-dawn  of  the  greatest 
revival  the  States  have  ever  known. —  W.  W.  Haviilion. 

The  evangel  is  always  fresh  as  the  break  of  day,  and  yet  as 
old  as  the  continuity  of  daybreak  through  the  ages.  We 
ought  to  be  so  living  that  when  God  begins  His  great  trium- 
phant march,  we  shall  fall  in  with  the  first  battalion,  and  have 
a  part  in  the  first  victories. —  G.  Cajupbell  Morgan. 

There  is  every  indication  of  the  coming  of  a  mighty  and 
wide  spread  revival.  There  is  every  reason  why,  if  a  revival 
should  come  in  any  country  at  this  time,  it  should  be  more 
wide-spread  in  its  extent  than  any  revival  of  history.  There  is 
the  closest  and  swiftest  communication  by  travel,  by  letter,  and 
by  cable  between  all  points  of  the  world.  A  true  fire  of  God 
kindled  in  America  would  soon  spread  to  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth.     The  only  thing  needed  to  bring  this  fire  is  prayer. 

— R,  A.  Torrey. 

"We  talk  of  the  coming  revival.  "What  we  want  to  do  is  to 
fall  in  line  with  the  great  movement  of  God  in  all  the  ages,  and 
the  revival  is  here.  The  revival  will  be  along  the  line  of  the 
old-time  doctrine  of  conviction  of  sin.  One  reason  why  there 
are  not  more  conversions  is  because  the  work  does  not  start 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  heart  of  the  sinner,  convicting  him 
of  sin.  "When  you  have  the  Holy  Spirit  settling  down  upon  the 
hearts  of  sinners  locking  them  up,  as  it  were,  in  their  sin,  until 
they  cry :  «  Open  the  door,  and  let  me  escape  from  the  body 
of  this  death !  " — then  you  will  have  a  revival. 

— Len    G.  Broughton. 


THE  NEW  ERA  OF  EVANGELISM 

"  Ye  know  how  to  discern  the  face  of  the  heaven ;  but  ye 
cannot  discern  the  signs  of  the  times." — Jllatt.  xvi.  j. 

THE  history  of  Christianity  is  largely  a 
record  of  the  rise  and  decline  of  the  in- 
terest of  Christian  people  in  spiritual 
things.  The  period  of  decline  is  always  marked 
by  peculiar  forms  of  sin  and  error ;  while  the  re- 
vival period  immediately  following  has  always 
been  characterized  by  prominence  of  certain 
Scriptural  doctrines  which  were  intended  by  the 
religious  leaders  of  that  time  to  combat  those 
particular  sins  and  errors.  Hence  it  is  that  no 
two  revival  periods  have  been  just  alike.  "  There 
have  been  three  evangelistic  movements,"  says 
Dr.  W.  W.  Hamilton,  "  in  the  United  States  in 
two  hundred  years.  First,  in  the  time  of  Jona- 
than Edwards,  accenting  the  new  birth  ;  second, 
in  the  time  of  Finney,  accenting  practical  Chris- 
tianity ;  third,  accenting  prayer,  which  came  in 
the  Fulton  Street  Noon  Mission  in  New  York. 
Now  we  are  closing  a  special  campaign  on  the 
presence  and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  brought 
on  by  the  period  of  organization,  upon  which  we 
27 


28  Normal  Evangelism 

were  tempted  to  lean.  To-day  we  are  entering 
upon  a  new  phase,  the  responsibility  of  the  indi- 
vidual Christian  to  win  the  lost." 

That  we  are  at  this  time  entering  upon  a  new 
era  of  evangelistic  activity  is  quite  evident  for 
many  reasons.  There  is  striking  unanimity  of 
thought — almost  of  expression — in  the  utter- 
ances of  men  who  are  prominent  in  evangelistic 
labours  as  to  the  belief  that  we  are  soon  to  wit- 
ness the  coming  of  a  great  revival.  That  such  a 
belief  is  immanent  in  the  minds  of  many  may  be 
seen  from  the  foregoing  quotations.  These  are 
noteworthy  because  of  the  fact  that  they  come 
from  men  of  different  religious  faiths,  from  men 
who  live  in  different  parts  of  the  country — of  the 
world — and  on  different  occasions,  yet  all  these 
convictions  have  been  expressed  within  recent 
years.  Such  agreement,  among  such  religious 
leaders,  regarding  such  a  movement,  at  such  a 
time  as  this  is  not  without  significance. 

"  Watchman,  what  of  the  morning  ?  "  Are 
we  at  the  dawn  of  a  great  world-movement  in  the 
direction  of  world-redemption  ?  If  so^  what  are  to 
be  the  characteristics  of  the  new  era  of  evangel- 
ism ?  There  are  many  who  regard  any  attempt 
to  forecast  the  lines  of  any  movement  as  utterly 
futile.  Perhaps  so  ;  but  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
see  what  is  already  here.  Because  the  religious 
leaders  of  the  time  were  unable  to  interpret  the 
nature  and  character  of  the  Messianic  reign  the 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism        29 

Christ  reproached  them :  "  Ye  knqw  how  to 
discern  the  face  of  the  heaven ;  but  ye  cannot 
discern  the  signs  of  the  times."  We  ought  to  be 
on  the  alert  to  discern  the  tendencies  of  our  own 
age ;  quick  to  detect  its  errors ;  and  ever  ready 
to  seize  and  use  whatever  is  for  the  advancement 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  thoughts  herein 
presented  are  not  intended  to  be  a  prophecy  of 
things  to  come  but  rather  a  study  of  conditions 
already  existing,  that  we  may  be  fully  ready  to 
follow  the  leadings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  are  coming  to  a  more  practical  view  of 
the  zvorking  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  There  has  been 
a  great  deal  of  mysticism  in  the  age  just  passing. 
This  no  doubt  was  the  result  of  a  reaction 
against  the  materialistic  tendencies  of  the  times. 
We  heard  a  great  deal  about  "  anointing,"  the 
"  second  blessing,"  and  other  expressions  indic- 
ative of  certain  experiences  which  certain 
brethren  had  and  which  they  insisted  every  one 
else  should  have  before  he  could  be  fitted  for 
service.  We  are  coming  to  see  that  he  who 
yields  himself  up  to  the  will  of  Christ  and  follows 
the  line  of  duty  as  closely  as  possible  is  as  much 
guided  by  the  Spirit  as  the  one  who  has  seen 
a  vision,  or  heard  a  voice,  or  experienced  some 
ecstasy  of  religious  joy.  We  are  coming  to 
realize  that  spiritual  power  is  not  handed  out 
to  us  in  great  quantities  all  at  once  but  is  sup- 
plied  at   the   time   needed.     The  words  of  Dr. 


go  Normal  Evangelism 

W.  J.  Williamson  are  timely  when  he  says : 
**  We  cannot  know  power  apart  from  its  use. 
The  Scriptures  make  no  appeal  for  service  on 
the  basis  of  ecstatic  joy,  and  no  religious  ex- 
perience is  normal  which  does  not  relate  itself  to 
man.  Multitudes  of  honest  souls  have  been 
waiting  for  years  for  a  consecration  which  would 
enable  them  to  render  a  beautiful  and  dis- 
tinctive service,  but  consecration  is  ever  the 
human  side  of  the  new  life.  Ecstatic  emotions 
do  not  constitute  power.  The  engine  may  or 
may  not  send  forth  jets  of  hissing  steam,  but 
the  force  that  moves  the  train  is  invisible  and 
silent." 

We  are  approaching  more  nearly  to  the 
Scriptural  idea  of  evangelism.  While  modern 
evangehsm  has  been  characterized  by  great 
earnestness,  fiery  zeal,  and  in  most  instances,  a 
faithful  presentation  of  the  truth,  yet  there  has 
been  much  "  spurious  evangelism."  Evangelism 
has  been  made  to  "  cover  a  multitude  of  sins  " ; 
and  a  great  deal  has  been  done  in  the  name  of 
evangelism  which  cannot  be  warranted  by  Scrip- 
ture or  good  sense.  Emotionalism  is  no  more 
evangelism  than  is  perspiration  inspiration. 
Many  efforts  at  evangelism  have  been  at  random, 
"  as  one  that  beateth  the  air,"  rather  than  intelli- 
gent and  well  directed.  Everything  that  makes 
the  claim  cannot  be  called  evangelism.  We 
must  have  clear  conceptions  as  to  what  evangel- 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism        31 

ism  really  is  before  we  can  perform  wisely  this 
most  important  of  all  services. 

What  is  evangelism  ?  That  question  is  an- 
swered in  a  most  satisfactory  manner  by  President 
E.  Y.  Mullins  in  his  "  Axioms  of  Religion," 
when  he  says  :  "  Evangelism  is  the  proclamation 
to  the  soul  of  man  that  God  has  provided  a 
trysting-place,  so  to  speak,  for  God  and  man  in 
Christ.  In  Christ  they  meet,  and  face  to  face 
settle  their  controversy.  The  incarnation  is 
God's  self-revelation  as  a  person,  the  atonement 
is  His  provision  for  human  sin.  Evangelism  is 
the  approach  of  the  divine  to  the  human  person. 
The  high  respect  which  God  pays  to  the  human 
personaHty  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  His  transaction 
with  every  sinner  in  Christ  is  on  the  basis  of 
that  sinner's  private  and  personal  needs  and 
conditions.  .  .  .  Evangelism  is  the  method 
of  God  for  setting  the  soul  free.  He  regenerates 
the  spirit  of  man  and  thus  transforms  it  into  a 
regenerator  of  human  society.  Through  evan- 
gelism, therefore,  God  grapples  directly  with 
man's  deepest  problem,  emancipation  from  sin." 

*'  Evangelism  "  has  been  so  much  abused  both 
in  word  and  deed  that  the  term  suggests  to 
many  minds  not  the  substance  of  evangelism 
but  the  form  by  which  the  work  has  been  carried 
on.  Man's  attention  has  been  attracted  by  "  the 
things  that  are  seen  "  when  the  truth  is,  the  real 
power  in  evangelism  consists  of  hidden  forces 


32  Normal  Evangelism 

operating  within  the  sphere  of  the  inner  being. 
"  To  evangehze,"  says  Dr.  Henry  C.  Mabie  in 
"  Method  in  Soul-Winning,"  "  is  to  tell  the  good 
news,  that  which  is  really  news  and  that  which 
is  surprisingly  joyful  news, —  a  real  saving  mes- 
sage. To  evangelize  is  to  point  out  to  men  how 
they  may  come  into  a  new  moral  and  religious 
status,  under  a  regime  which  God  has  made 
possible  through  the  sacrificial  work  of  Himself 
in  His  Son.  To  evangelize  a  soul  is  to  make 
clear  to  it  the  evangelical  status  made  possible 
for  it  by  Christ."  Therefore  we  need  to  lay  the 
stress  where  it  belongs  :  upon  the  power  and 
effectiveness  of  the  Gospel  which  under  the 
direction  of  the  Spirit  is  able  to  save  a  soul 
from  death  and  not  upon  any  other  agencies 
which  may  be  used  in  connection  with  true 
evangelism.  Here  as  everywhere  else :  **  We 
look  not  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but  at  the 
things  which  are  not  seen  :  for  the  things  which 
are  seen  are  temporal ;  but  the  things  which  are 
not  seen  are  eternal." 

In  the  era  now  approaching  we  shall  doubtless 
come  to  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  psychic  side 
of  evangelism.  We  need  not  look  askance  at 
the  results  of  psychological  research  because 
some  students  of  it  have  blundered  here  and 
there.  Some  Bible  students  have  blundered  just 
as  badly  with  reference  to  the  truth.  The  two 
factors  of  knowledge  which  rendered  the  Son  of 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism        33 

man  the  greatest  of  evangeHsts  were :  that  He 
was  "  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,"  and  that  "  He 
Himself  knew  what  was  in  man."  He  knew  God 
and  man  and  was  therefore  capable  of  leading 
man  to  God.  Next  to  Jesus  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  inner  man  was  the  Apostle  Paul.  Marvel- 
lous was  his  insight  into  the  powers  and  processes 
of  the  human  soul.  If  any  one  doubts  the  apos- 
tle's ability  as  a  psychologist  let  him  read  that 
most  intricate  analysis  of  his  own  experience  in 
the  seventh  chapter  of  Romans.  Throughout 
his  writings  it  is  shown  that  he  was  a  master  of 
the  science  of  the  human  soul.  Much  of  the  evan- 
gelistic effort  which  has  resulted  disastrously  for 
some  might  have  been  avoided  had  the  leaders 
known  the  fundamental  elements  of  psychology. 

Practically  all  that  relates  to  religious  experi- 
ence from  the  human  point  of  view  is  psycho- 
logical. As  says  Henry  W.  Clark  in  "  The  Phi- 
losophy of  Christian  Experience  "  :  "  Conversion, 
repentance,  faith  are  all  practical  affairs,  for  they 
are  parts  of  the  art  of  character-making,  as  relig- 
ion essays  to  teach  it :  these  words  stand  for 
definite  processes,  even  though  it  be  within  the 
limits  of  a  single  personality,  and  not  upon  a 
stage  which  all  the  world  can  see,  that  the  proc- 
esses are  worked  out :  they  show  the  lines  over 
which  the  self  in  each  man  has  to  make  its  jour- 
ney;   and   if  religion   be   divided   into  matters 


34  Normal  Evangelism 

theoretical  and  matters  practical,  the  experiences 
to  which  these  words  and  all  their  closely  related 
words  refer  must  be  counted  on  the  practical 
side." 

Let  us  hope  that  Christian  people  generally 
are  coming  to  deeper  convictions  as  to  doctrine^ 
experience,  and  duty.  There  has  been  and  is 
now  a  great  deal  of  laxness  as  to  convictions  of 
rehgious  truth.  To  hear  some  Christians  talk 
you  would  conclude  that  one  would  be  blessed 
just  as  much  in  believing  error  as  in  beheving 
truth.  Some  are  willing  to  concede  everything 
for  the  sake  of  being  considered  broad  and  liberal. 
We  can  be  broad  in  our  sympathies  towards  our 
religious  neighbours,  and  heartily  cooperate  with 
them  where  there  is  a  common  good  to  be  obtained 
and  where  no  sacrifice  of  principle  is  involved. 
But  we  must  ever  bear  in  mind  that  if  we  would 
be  true  to  God  we  can  at  no  time  afford  to  be- 
come broader  than  the  truth  itself.  We  can 
never,  in  any  circumstances,  substitute  sentiment 
for  truth.  It  is  the  duty  of  each  believer  to  search 
diligently  that  he  may  know  the  New  Testament 
teaching  with  reference  to  determining  his  church 
connections;  then  let  him  "angle  himself "  ac- 
cording to  the  belief  of  the  church  of  his  choice 
and  believe  in  and  work  in  it  with  all  his  might. 
*'  And  ye  shall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall 
make  you  free." 
\^The  churches  are  to  become  the  centres  from 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism        35 

which  all  evangelistic  and  missionary  efforts  are 
to  proceed.     The  day  is  past  for  evangelists  to 
sneer  at  the  churches.     The  churches   are  not 
what  they  ought  to  be  by  any  means  but  they 
are  the  best  agencies  we  have  for  the  propaga- 
tion of  gospel  truth.     Some  have  thought  the 
churches  so  imperfect  that  they  could  get  along 
better  without  them  than  with  them.     But  their 
mistake  is  now  evident,  for  we  have  seen  that  re- 
ligious service  of  any  kind  apart  from  the  churches 
is,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  only  tempo- 
rary.    Evangelists,   missionaries,  and    all   other 
religious  workers,  must  be  approved,  sent  out 
from,  and  directed  by  the  churches  if  their  la- 
bours are  to  be  effective  and  the  results  lasting. 
We  heartily  agree  with  Dr.  G.  Campbell  Morgan 
when    he   says :    "  Evangelism   apart   from   the 
Church  is  apart  from  Christ,  and  is  therefore  no 
evangehsm.     There  can  be  no  evangelism  save 
that  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  can  only  be  spoken 
by  Christ  Himself  through  His  people  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.     Anything  calling  itself  evangelism 
which  has  not  the  outcome  of  the  new  life  of 
Christ,  realized  in  the  soul  of  men,  and  spoken 
through  men  by  Christ,  is  not  evangelism."      ^ 
Pastors  are  getting  new  visions  of  the  possibili- 
ties zvithin  their  grasp.     One  of  the  most  hopeful 
signs  of  the  coming  evangehsm  is  the  arousing  of 
pastors   to  a  sense   of  their  obligation  to  do  all 
that  the  pastoral  office  requires,  including  evan- 


36  Normal  Evangelism 

gelism.  Heretofore,  this  work  has  been  thought 
to  be  the  work  of  the  speciaHst,  hence  the  evan- 
geHst  has  been  relied  upon  to  do  the  chief  part 
of  this  work  for  the  pastors.  We  need  the 
evangehst  yet  to  do  pioneer  work  in  destitute 
fields  and  to  strengthen  weak  churches.  But 
pastors  are  becoming  more  sensitive  to  their  duty 
to  evangelize  in  their  own  fields.  "  There  are  a 
few  accredited  evangelists  in  our  country,"  says 
Dr.  Charles  L.  Goodell,  in  "  Pastoral  and  Personal 
Evangelism."  "  They  are  kept  busy  all  the  time, 
and  could  multiply  themselves  indefinitely,  if 
only  they  were  able  to  do  it,  but  they  can  be  in 
but  one  place  at  a  time.  .  .  .  The  only  hope 
of  winning  our  land  to  Christ  rests  upon  the  indi- 
vidual pastor  and  the  individual  church.  If  we 
can  have  a  hundred  thousand  pastors  who  are 
inspired  of  God  and  yield  themselves  to  His  holy 
purposes,  and  if  only  a  score  of  members  were  to 
join,  each  of  them  in  uttermost  devotion,  this 
would  give  us  a  power  in  every  town  and  city 
which  would  be  simply  irresistible." 

There  is  also  an  awakeniitg  amojtg  the  lay- 
members  of  our  churches  as  to  their  part  in  the 
world's  salvation.  They  are  not  only  becoming 
soul-winners  but  "  world-winners."  We  are  glad 
to  welcome  this  new  word  to  our  vocabulary ;  it 
ought  to  inspire  us  to  greater  things.  To  be- 
come a  "  world-winner  " — what  a  thought !  And 
yet  that  is  the  privilege  which  God  gives  to  every 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism        37 

one  of  His  children.  We  are  Christ's  in  so  far  as 
we  seek  to  make  the  mission  of  Christ  the  mis- 
sion of  our  lives.  Christ  said  :  "  I  came  .  .  . 
to  save  the  world  "  (John  xii.  47).  So  can  each 
disciple  say  by  the  help  of  our  God  :  "  I  am  here 
to  save  the  world."  Personal  evangelism  is  the  cry 
of  our  age ;  and  if  all  that  "  love  His  appearing  " 
would  enter  the  work  with  a  new  zest,  the  world 
might  be  brought  to  Christ  in  a  few  decades. 
"  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the 
nations." 

After  all,  the  new  era  of  evangelism,  we  may 
confidently  hope,  will  be  a  return  to  the  New 
Testament  era,  but  let  us  not  wait  until  some 
great  trial  like  the  persecution  of  that  time  shall 
thrust  us  out  into  the  work  of  going  "  everywhere 
preaching  the  word."  Rather  let  us  enter  the 
work  willingly.  A  return  to  New  Testament  I  cons>rrif*'.'''ti 
ideals  and  standards — which  is  in  essence  whatj>osr--« 
we  mean  by  "  Normal  Evangelism  " — will  neces- 
sitate the  elimination  of  whatever  is  unscriptural 
in  evangelism.  The  Word  of  God  is  our  standard 
in  all  things  and  in  evangelism  as  in  other  things 
we  need  to  "  learn  not  to  go  beyond  the  things 
that  are  written  "  (i  Cor.  iv.  6).  We  fear  that 
false  colours  have  at  times  been  discernible  in  the 
banner  of  the  evangel.  The  Bible  is  the  book  for 
all  times.  Conditions  may  demand  a  difference 
in  the  appHcation  of  the  fundamental  principles 
of  evangelism  but  never  any  change  in  the  prin- 


■»*--<-,. 


38  Normal  Evangelism 

ciples  themselves.  The  question  of  highest  im- 
portance in  all  our  labours  is  not :  *•  Does  this 
or  that  violate  the  spirit  and  teaching  of  the 
Scriptures  ?  "  but :  "  Can  this  or  that  be  warranted 
by  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  ?  "  This  rule 
applied  everywhere  would  soon  work  a  great 
change  in  the  present-day  methods  of  evan- 
gehsm. 

Whether  we  are  on  the  verge  of  a  great  re- 
vival or  not  remains  to  be  seen ;  but  let  us  hope 
and  pray  that  we  are.  Of  this  much  we  can  be 
sure  :  that  if  pastors  and  churches  everywhere 
put  themselves  in  the  right  relation  to  God  there 
will  be  a  revival  such  as  the  world  has  never 
seen  before.  Let  us  therefore  pray  for  and  ex- 
pect— not  an  "  old-fashioned  revival  " — but  the 
revival  zve  need  and  I  am  sure  God  will  give  it 
to  us.  Let  us  enter  the  work  with  a  new 
abandon,  for  a  brighter  day  is  dawning.  Let 
us  pray  earnestly  and  continually  for  the  presence 
and  power  of  God's  Holy  Spirit.  Let  us  get 
ready  for  a  revival  and  a  revival  will  come. 
God's  promises  are  sure :  "  Bring  ye  the  whole 
tithe  into  the  storehouse  that  there  may  be  food 
in  My  house,  and  prove  now  herewith  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open  the  windows  of 
heaven  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing,  that 
there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it " 
(Mai.  iii.  10). 

As  a  small  aid  towards  the  attainment  of  the 


The  New  Era  of  Evangelism        39 

ideals  set  forth  in  this  chapter  the  following 
pages  are  written.  My  appeal  is  to  the  great 
body  of  Christian  people — preachers  and  laymen. 
The  one  to  whom  little  is  given  must  realize  and 
do  his  part  as  well  as  the  one  to  whom  much  is 
given.  There  are  some  who,  as  it  were, "  mount 
up  on  wings  as  eagles,"  but  it  takes  more  grace 
to  "  walk  and  not  faint."  After  all  it  is  the  man 
who  plods,  works,  and  prays  that  does  the  most 
for  the  world's  redemption.  It  is  the  soldier  who 
carries  the  rifle,  and  not  the  man  who  fires  the 
cannon,  that  wins  the  victory.  It  is  true,  each 
has  his  place  to  fill :  the  man  who  fires  the 
cannon  adds  dignity  to  the  occasion,  and  serves 
a  good  purpose  in  that  he  strikes  terror  to  the 
heart  of  the  enemy  and  inspires  his  comrades  with 
courage;  but  the  success  or  defeat  depends  on 
the  musketry.  So  it  is  in  the  army  of  the  Lord  ; 
we  have  the  artillery,  and  we  are  glad  we  have 
for  it  serves  a  noble  purpose ;  but  we  cannot 
depend  upon  it  alone  to  win  the  victory.  Let 
every  one  who  bears  the  name  of  Christ  take  up 
arms  in  the  conflict  and  in  His  name  march  on 
to  the  final  conquest.  "  And  this  is  the  victory 
that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith." 


II 

The  Passing  of  the  Professional 
Evangelist 


Modern  evangelism  makes  much  of  numbers,  parading  statis- 
tics, and  often  with  reckless  mode  of  reckoning.  It  is  easy  to 
secure  a  show  of  numbers,  but  such  numerical  estimates  are 
very  deceptive  and  misleading.  If  superficial  means  be 
adopted  ;  if  people  are  encouraged  to  think  that  some  simple 
outward  act  or  step  cairies  merit  or  brings  salvation ;  or  if  in 
any  way  there  is  a  carnal  appeal  to  the  hope  of  some  self, 
advantage,  there  will  be  a  ready  response.  Sometimes  an 
evangelist  promises  to  all  who  sign  his  converts'  roll  some 
helpful  book  of  his  own.  Even  such  promise,  however  un- 
selfish on  his  part,  he  has  to  guard  carefully,  lest  some  give 
their  names  for  what  they  get.  And  the  more  spiritual  a 
man's  methods  are,  and  the  more  exalted  his  conception  of 
his  work,  the  less  he  will  rely  upon  apparent  results  or  make  a 
show  of  numerical  success. — A.  T.  Pierson. 

My  first  criticism  of  present-day  evangelism,  if  I  may  use 
so  strong  a  word  as  criticism,  is  of  its  too  spectacular  methods. 
"Whole  campaigns  are  not  infrequently  conducted  with  as  much 
regard  to  the  effect  produced  upon  the  outside  public  mind  as 
would  be  done  by  a  circus  or  a  theatre  show.  If  I  mistake 
not,  the  word  publicity  as  now  so  often  used  in  the  sense  of 
advertising  is  of  the  evangelist's  coining.  But  be  that  as  it 
may,  a  publicity  committee  or  agent  is  too  often  supposed  to  be 
one  of  the  first  requisites  of  a  successful  evangelistic  campaign 
period.  In  not  a  few  cases  the  secular  press  is  practically  sub- 
sidized, not  only  by  the  expenditure  of  disproportionate  sums 
in  advertising,  but  by  inducing  reporters,  by  one  means  or 
another,  to  write  up  sensational  accounts  of  the  meetings  and 
give  them  striking  head-lines  and  abundant  illustration. 
Prominent  names  are  sought  for  the  committee  lists ;  society 
women,  who  are  not  always  interested  in  church  but  fond  of 
notoriety,  are  persuaded  to  open  their  homes  for  parlour  meet- 
ings ;  torches,  brass  bands,  processions,  newspaper  cuts,  slum- 
ming parties — these  are  but  a  few  of  the  spectacular  means 
and  methods  sometimes  resorted  to. — John  Balcom  Shaw. 


II 


THE  PASSING  OF  THE  PROFESSIONAL 
EVANGELIST 

IT  is  with  no  small  degree  of  trepidation  that 
a  discussion  of  this  character  is  entered  into, 
not  that  there  is  any  doubt  in  my  mind  as 
to  the  correctness  of  the  position  taken  on  this 
question,  but  because  I  count  myself  wholly  un- 
worthy to  express  what  appears  to  be  a  criticism 
upon  the  work  of  our  "  evangelist "  brethren, 
many  of  whom  there  are  "  the  latchet  of  whose 
shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  stoop  down  and  un- 
loose." Then,  too,  I  hesitate  because  I  fear  that 
some  of  the  statements  which  I  feel  constrained 
to  make  may  be  misunderstood  by  some  of  my 
brethren,  as  has  been  the  case  when  I  have  spoken 
on  this  subject  in  ministers'  conferences  and 
elsewhere.  Therefore,  allow  me  the  privilege 
of  entering  a  protest  against  being  misunderstood 
by  saying  that:  I  appreciate  every  effort  that 
these  brethren  are  making  to  advance  the  king- 
dom of  God  ;  I  believe  that  many  of  these 
brethren  are  earnest,  godly,  efficient  men  who 
are  in  the  work  for  the  love  of  souls  and  are 
willing  to  "  burn  out "  for  God  and  humanity ; 
43 


44  Normal  Evangelism 

that  God  has  set  His  seal  of  approval  upon  their 
labours  by  giving  them  many  precious  souls  as 
their  reward ;  that  their  work  in  a  great  many 
instances  will  stand  throughout  eternity  as  a 
monument  to  their  faith,  zeal  and  consecration  ; 
that  we  shall  have  need  for  sane,  conservative 
"  evangelists  "  as  long  as  there  remains  an  un- 
saved human  being  on  earth. 

Then  why  speak  against  "  professional  evan- 
gelism "  ?  It  is  not  my  purpose  to  depreciate 
it  so  much  as  to  protest  against  an  undue  reliance 
upon  it  as  a  nieayis  of  evangelizi^tg  the  world. 
Pastors  and  churches  have  depended  too  much 
upon  the  work  of  the  "  evangelist "  to  do  the 
work  for  them  which  they  themselves  should 
have  been  doing  through  all  these  years.  A 
young  pastor,  when  asked  by  an  older  minister 
as  to  what  he  would  do  at  a  time  of  special 
revival  interest  in  his  church,  replied  by  saying 
that  he  would  send  for  an  evangelist;  that  is  a 
reflection  of  the  spirit  of  the  present  age.  The 
motto  of  many  churches  and  pastors  seems  to 
be :  We  never  do  anything  ourselves  that  we 
can  get  somebody  else  to  do.  It  has  never  oc- 
curred to  many  a  pastor  that  he  could  lead  his 
flock  in  any  successful  effort  in  evangelism  and 
it  has  never  occurred  to  many  a  church  that  such 
a  thing  could  be  done.  Hence  has  arisen  the 
demand  for  men  of  "  special  evangelistic  gifts," 
and  churches  and  pastors  are  as  much  responsible 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    45 

for  the  condition  of  affairs  by  creating  this  de- 
mand as  are  the  "  evangeHsts  "  for  responding 
to  the  demand  with  the  kind  of "  evangehsm " 
they  are  giving  us  at  the  present  time. 

There  is  need  for  an  evangelism  of  that  type  in 
which  an  effort  is  made  not  only  to  win  people  to 
Christy  but  also  to  develop  churches  and  pastors 
in  the  work  of  soul  winning.  And  we  have  some 
ministers  both  from  the  ranks  of  pastors  and 
"  professional  evangeHsts  "  who  are  doing  a  much 
needed  work  in  that  direction.  If  the  "  profes- 
sional evangelist "  would  justify  his  work  (and  I 
say  this  because  there  is  some  question  as  to  the 
worth  of  it  on  the  whole)  let  him  seek  not  only 
the  salvation  of  the  lost,  but  such  a  development 
of  the  evangelistic  idea  in  the  minds  of  pastors 
and  people  where  he  goes  that  it  will  not  be 
necessary  for  him  and  others  of  his  class  to  con- 
tinue their  visits  to  that  particular  field.  Such  a 
specimen,  however,  is  very  rare,  for,  as  a  rule, 
wherever  the  "  peripatetic  evangelist "  goes  he 
leaves  his  mark,  as  is  the  tradition  regarding 
certain  other  "  peripatetics,"  so  that  others  find  it 
easy  to  go  in  and  out  and  find  pasture.  Thus  it 
happens  that  where  the  "  evangelist "  goes  once 
he  must  go  again,  for  the  people  soon  come  to 
think  that  they  cannot  do  without  him. 

No  moder7i  error  has  wrought  greater  harm  to 
the  churches  of  the  present  time  than  the  idea 
that  there  cannot  be  a  revival  without  a  "  revival- 


46  Normal  Evangelism 

isty  And  by  that  term  is  usually  meant  one 
who  has  a  peculiar  fitness  for  that  work  unat- 
tainable by  the  majority  of  ministers  and  Chris- 
tians. So  when  things  begin  to  drag  in  church 
affairs,  and  the  brethren  begin  to  talk  about  what 
ought  to  be  done,  one  of  the  first  suggestions 
usually  is  :  "  Let's  send  for  an  evangelist."  The 
suggestion  meets  with  a  chorus  of  "  amens  "  and 
a  search  is  at  once  begun  to  find  one  who  has 
the  most  glaring  record.  "  There  is  Brother 
Blank,"  says  one,  "  who  held  a  meeting  down  at 
Stiruptown.  From  all  reports  he  must  be  a 
wonderful  man  and  is  just  the  preacher  we  need 
for  our  town  and  our  church.  They  say  that  he 
has  stirred  up  the  town  and  that  is  certainly  what 
we  need  up  here.  He  attacked  the  city  adminis- 
tration ;  the  mayor  was  impeached ;  three  of  the 
councilmen  resigned ;  the  saloon  element  fought 
against  him  and  made  an  attack  on  him  one 
night  as  he  was  going  home  from  church ;  and 
on  two  other  occasions  he  came  very  near  hav- 
ing street  fights  which  was  prevented  only  by  the 
intervention  of  friends.  As  a  result  several  of 
the  leaders  were  arrested  and  had  to  pay  fines. 
The  meeting  was  a  glorious  success ;  the  house 
was  packed  every  night ;  people  came  for  miles 
around ;  and  one  night  a  special  train  was  run  from 
neighbouring  towns  just  for  the  meeting ;  there 
were  over  three  hundred  additions  to  the  church  ; 
and  they  say  that  there  never  was  such  a  meeting 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    47 

in  that  part  of  the  state  in  the  memory  of  the 
oldest  inhabitant." 

After  a  good  deal  of  correspondence  as  to 
finances,  advertising,  and  so  forth,  the  "  evangel- 
ist "  comes.  He  soon  lets  them  know  "  who's 
who  "  and  "  what's  what "  and  that  they  may 
expect  marvellous  things  to  happen  if  his  work 
there  is  to  be  judged  by  what  he  has  just  done 
in  the  cities  and  towns  where  he  has  been.  The 
people  are  made  to  open  their  eyes  in  astonish- 
ment, for  although  they  have  heard  of  his  great- 
ness as  an  •*  evangelist  "  they  now  realize  that 
the  half  has  never  been  told  them  ;  if  all  he  says 
of  himself  be  true,  he  must  be  the  greatest  man 
since  the  days  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  and  no  doubt 
if  he  had  been  living  at  that  time  that  apostle 
would  never  have  been  heard  from.  He  thus 
makes  a  good  beginning  by  causing  the  people 
to  expect  great  things  of  him.  Of  course,  he 
tells  them  that  the  Lord  has  to  be  in  the  meeting 
but  they  must  understand  that  the  *•  evangelist  " 
is  in  the  meeting  already  and  for  that  reason 
something  is  going  to  happen.  They  have  had 
the  Lord  before  but  they  had  not  done  much, 
but  now  that  they  have  the  "  evangelist  "  added 
to  their  side  of  the  equation  they  may  expect  a 
great  deal  to  be  done.  He  assures  them  that 
they  are  going  to  have  a  good  time  together  and 
after  some  pleasing  jokes,  a  multitude  of  instruc- 
tions, and  a  briUiant  httle  gem  of  a  sermon  the 


48  Normal  Evangelism 

first  meeting  adjourns  and  high  hopes  are  enter- 
tained as  to  the  success  of  the  "  revival." 

Things  move  along  very  pleasantly  for  two  or 
three  days  until  the  "  evangelist  "  begins  to  feel 
that  it  is  time  to  wake  them  up  a  little.  He  has 
waited  as  long  as  he  can  and  is  impatient  to  begin 
the  scathing  process  in  which  he  greatly  delights. 
He  gives  them  a  few  "  broadsiders  "  as  to  their 
laxness,  worldliness,  and  indifference,  espe- 
cially, if  they  are  not  quick  to  respond  to  all  his 
appeals.  He  measures  the  piety  and  spiritual 
life  of  that  church  and  community  by  their  will- 
ingness or  unwillingness,  as  the  case  may  be,  to 
respond  to  his  various  and  multitudinous  proposi- 
tions. If  their  response  is  hearty,  they  are  the 
best  people  in  the  world ;  if  not,  then  they  are 
about  the  worst  people  he  has  ever  tried  to 
labour  among  and  he  lets  them  know  that  he  has 
never  been  so  shamefully  treated  anywhere  in  all 
his  life.  He  has  mourned  unto  them  and  they 
have  not  wept;  he  has  piped  unto  them  and 
they  have  not  danced.  He  weeps  and  wails 
aloud  because  the  people  are  not  doing  what  he 
wants  them  to  do.  The  truth  is  that  their  refusal 
to  respond  to  needless  and  repeated  invitations  is 
the  best  evidence  of  their  good  sense  and  not  an 
index  to  a  dearth  of  spiritual  Hfe. 

The  people  come  in  great  crowds,  for  they  think 
of  the  "  evangelist"  not  so  much  as  a  preacher  of 
the  Gospel  as  a  sort  of  spiritual  enchanter  by 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    49 

whose  tricks  and  manipulations  people  are  artfully 
and   mysteriously  led  into  becoming  Christians. 
Instead  of  his   being  simply  the  bearer  of  the 
good  news  of  salvation,  too  often  the  old  Gospel 
is  pushed  into  the  background  and  an  array  of 
scenes,  incidents  and  accidents  is  brought  before 
the  minds  of  the  people  in  the  form  of  stories, 
anecdotes  and  illustrations,  ranging  all  the  way 
from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  interspersed 
with  meteoric   bursts  of  sophomoric  eloquence, 
with  now  and  then  a  faint  gleam  of  gospel  light 
appearing  between  acts.     Oh,  my  brethren,  has 
the  Gospel  lost  its  power  when  such  means  are 
used  to  bring  men  to  Christ  ?     No,  thank  God, 
it  has  not  lost  its  power ;  but  in  spite  of  all  the 
stuff  that  is  palmed  off  as  "  Gospel"  the  blessed 
old  Gospel  is  still  "  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion to  every  one  that  believeth."     It  is   more 
evident  than  ever  before  that  the  Gospel  has  in  it 
power  to  transform  and  make  anew  the  lives  of 
sinful  men  all  because  it  brings  to  their  hearts 
and  consciences  a  living,  personal  Christ  who  is 
"  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God." 
And  what  we  need  is   men  to  preach  it  in  its 
purity  and  simplicity  which  means  to  preach  it 
with  power. 

It  is  soon  manifest  that  the  average  "  profes- 
sional evangelist  "  is  a  sort  of  "  religious  boss  " 
lording  it  over  God's  heritage.  His  success  has 
made    him    vainglorious    and    dictatorial.     His 


5©  Normal  Evangelism 

arrogance  and  self-sufficiency  stand  out  in  bold 
contrast  with  the  meekness  and  humility  of 
**  PhiUp  the  evangehst "  who  while  preaching  to 
the  Samaritans  allowed  Peter  and  John  to  come 
and  direct  and  counsel  him  in  his  work.  Now 
can  you  imagine  the  modern  "  evangelist "  as 
being  directed  by  any  one  ?  He  will  have  no 
Peter  and  John  coming  around  interfering  with 
his  affairs.  He  will  be  wagon,  team,  driver  and 
all  himself  and  no  one  dare  think  a  suggestion  to 
him  much  less  utter  it.  If  he  does,  it  is  regarded 
as  a  gross  offense,  and  woe  unto  him  by  whom 
offenses  come.  When  he  is  once  there  he  lets  it 
be  known  that  he  came  to  direct  and  not  to  be 
directed  even  by  the  pastor  whom  he  is  assisting. 
The  leadership  must  be  turned  over  to  him  and 
too  frequently  it  is  not  wisely  used.  The  pastor 
must  retire  into  the  background  and  submit  to  a 
sort  of  game  of  "  Simon  says  wiggle-wag." 
"  Thumbs  up,"  or  "  Thumbs  down "  must  be 
according  to  the  dictates  of  "  Simon."  He  is  the 
master  of  the  situation  and  when  he  says  "  wiggle- 
wag,"  why,  there's  nothing  to  do  but  to  "  wiggle- 
wag."  So  the  pastor  must  "  wiggle-wag  "  along 
with  the  rest  of  the  folks  whether  he  wants  to  or 
not;  for  if  he  does  not  he  is  thought  to  be 
irreverent,  indifferent,  lacking  in  spirituality,  and 
not  strictly  orthodox ;  he  is  soon  informed  that 
his  example  is  having  its  baleful  effect  upon  the 
meeting,  so  he  must  go  through  the  motion  just 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    51 

to  keep  up  appearances  if  for  no  other  reason, 
although  he  may  seriously  doubt  the  wisdom  of 
the  methods  used.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  after 
the  "  evangehst  "  is  gone  and  the  pastor  tries  to 
get  down  to  solid  work  once  more  that  he  feels 
that  he  is  pulling  against  a  cold  collar,  as  it  were, 
and  that  the  load  seems  mighty  heavy  ?  He  is 
just  trying  to  regain  that  mastery  which  he  lost 
when  he  turned  over  the  leadership  to  another 
and  he  may  have  to  work  long  and  hard  before 
it  is  his  again  ;  and  if  he  fails  to  regain  it — there 
is  likely  to  be  a  change  of  pastorates  very  soon. 
No  pastor  can  labour  long  in  any  field  where  his 
leadership  is  not  recognized  and  followed.  Had 
he  never  surrendered  that  leadership  things  might 
have  been  very  different  with  him  and  with  his 
church  as  far  as  their  future  relations  are  con- 
cerned. 

The  revival  goes  on  with  ever-increasing 
power.  The  town  is  stirred  up  religiously  as 
never  before.  The  evangelist's  effort  to  create  a 
sensation  by  attacking  the  city  administration 
fell  flat  because  a  few  of  the  Christian  citizens  of 
the  town  told  him  that  they  were  reasonably 
satisfied  with  the  administration  and  that  he  could 
afford  to  be  as  he  was  there  for  a  few  days  only. 
He  then  proceeds  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
churches  and  their  members,  for  he  is  bound  to 
attack  something.  He  scolds,  berates,  and  holds 
them    up   to  ridicule.     He   storms  the  religious 


52  '        Normal  Evangelism 

citadel  with  such  vehemence  and  hurls  against  it 
such  anathemas  that  the  man  of  the  world  rejoices 
in  the  fact  that  he  is  not  within  the  pales  of  any 
church  and  makes  up  his  mind  that  he  never  will 
be,  for  from  what  the  "  evangelist "  says  church 
people  must  be  about  the  worst  lot  of  folks  on 
earth  and  a  man  is  about  as  well  off  out  of  the 
church  as  in  it.  At  the  meeting  for  men  only  he 
exhibits  such  a  vocabulary  of  corrupt  speech  and 
reveals  such  intimate  knowledge  of  all  kinds  of 
sin  and  vice  that  men  begin  to  wonder  how  he, 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  ever  came  to  have  such 
knowledge  and  such  a  vocabulary,  and  some,  at 
least,  avow  that  they  will  never  attend  a  meeting 
of  that  kind  again.  But  he  is  great  on  counting 
numbers  and  in  making  a  display  of  his  piety, 
for  near  the  close  of  the  meeting  he  holds  an  all- 
night  prayer-meeting  and  the  next  day  he  sends 
telegrams  to  all  the  religious  newspapers  within 
his  knowledge  :  "  Four  hundred  additions  to  date. 
Spent  all  night  in  prayer."  That  is  a  great  deal 
to  tell  in  ten  words  and  he  rejoices  to  tell  it. 
The  meeting  closes  in  a  blaze  of  glory  and — exit 
"  evangelist." 

But  when  the  "  evangelist "  is  gone,  having 
"  skimmed  the  cream  of  the  congregation  with 
two  or  three  good  collections,"  as  a  good 
Methodist  brother  expressed  it,  the  pastor  looks 
around  to  find  that  he  has  on  hand  something 
else    besides     skimmed     milk.      The    drag-net 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist     53 

has  been  used  and  he  observes  that  there  has 
been  "inclosed  a  great   multitude"  of  church- 
members.    In  vain  he  looks  about  for  a  "  partner  " 
to   whom  he  might   beckon  for  assistance,  but 
there  is  none  to  help  him.     He  must  tread  the 
wine-press  alone.     There  have  been  large  con- 
gregations, large  numbers   of  professions,  large 
calculations,  but  now  the  most  conspicuous  part 
of  the  "  revival "  is  the  large  difficulties  which 
the  pastor  has  on  his  hands.     His  difficulties  have 
been   multiplied   instead    of    being   diminished. 
How   is  he  to   interest,  hold,  train  and   develop 
this    great   army   of    converts,    many  of  whom 
joined  the  "  evangelist "  instead  of  the  church  ?  and 
hence   their   relation   to  the  pastor  is  not  very 
close.     For   after    the    ordinary   "revival"   the 
converts  feel  that  they  have  joined  something 
—the   biggest   part    of    which   is    gone.     They 
have   been   born  during  the  exciting  time  of  a 
"  revival "  and  seem  not  to  have  any  religious 
impulses  except  under  similar  conditions.     Their 
growth  is  arrested  to  begin  with  and  they  seldom 
make  any  further  progress.     Many  of  them  have 
been  sentimentally  born  instead   of  religiously 
born  and  they  act  from  sentimentalism  rather 
than  from  religious   conviction.     Very  truly  has 
the   author    of  "  The    Unfolding    Life "    said : 
"'Sentimentalists'  have  lost  the  power  to  act 
except    in    tears     or     ejaculations    when    their 
emotions    are    stirred,   and    'hardened'   people 


54  Normal  Evangelism 

have  lost  the  power  to  feel  under  ordinary  stimu- 
lation." That  the  modern  "  revival "  is  respon- 
sible for  many  spiritual  .dwarfs  within  our  ranks 
to-day  cannot  be  questioned.  Of  course,  it 
would  be  unjust  to  hold  the  modern  "  evangel- 
ist "  accountable  for  all  the  defects  observable 
in  those  who  have  professed  conversion  in  their 
meetings,  but  it  is  an  undeniable  fact  that  in  a 
very  large  number  of  cases  the  converts  of  such 
"  revivals  "  amount  to  very  little  in  the  service 
of  Christ.  There  may  be  some  signal  excep- 
tions both  as  to  "  evangelists  "  and  "  converts," 
but  the  fact  remains  that  a  very  small  residuum 
of  the  "  professional  evangelist's  "  work  is  con- 
served by  the  churches  of  to-day  even  after  the 
most  strenuous  effort  on  the  part  of  pastors  and 
their  people. 

The  standard  set  by  modern  "  revivals "  is 
often  abnormal  and  for  that  reason,  if  for  no 
other,  should  not  be  mai^itained.  People  are 
led  to  measure  everything  in  a  religious  sense 
by  the  *'  revival  "  standard.  The  ordinary  "  re- 
vival" as  a  religious  bill  of  fare  is  very  pala- 
table to  many  people,  but  the  effects  are  not 
altogether  wholesome.  Many  church-members, 
if  they  were  allowed  to  choose  their  own  re- 
ligious bill  of  fare,  would  display  about  as  much 
wisdom  in  their  selections  as  would  an  eight-year- 
old  boy  in  the  choice  of  his  daily  menu  :  cherries, 
plums,  green  apples,  peanuts,  cakes,  mince-pie, 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    55 

ice-cream  and  what-not  would  be  his  chief  de- 
light with  the  result :  a  depraved  appetite,  de- 
ranged digestive  organs,  a  dwarfed  body,  a 
weakened  mind — a  burden  to  himself  and  his 
family.  Many  grown-ups  think  that  they  would 
like  for  every  day  the  kind  of  religious  bill  of 
fare  that  is  dished  out  to  them  during  special 
"  revivals  "  :  great  crowds,  big  choirs,  spirited 
singing,  enthusiastic  testimonies,  stirring  sermons, 
showy  advertising,  sensational  newspaper  re- 
ports, with  a  blast  of  trumpets  and  excitement 
on  every  hand.  The  effects  on  the  people  re- 
ligiously are  about  the  same  as  on  the  boy 
physically  :  they  become  possessed  of  such  de- 
praved appetites  that  soHd  food  is  distasteful  to 
them  and  the  ordinary  church  service  becomes 
dry  and  uninteresting.  They  become  spiritual 
dyspeptics  and  not  being  able  to  endure  "  strong 
meat "  they  remain  "  babes  in  Christ,"  dwarfed 
and  inactive — until  the  next  "  revival "  comes 
around  and  when  that  is  over  the  last  state  is 
often  worse  than  the  first.  They  feel  while  the 
"  revival "  is  going  on  :  "  Oh,  why  can't  we 
have  things  this  way  all  the  time  ?  "  And  when 
the  "  revival "  is  over — well,  they  do  not  seem 
to  feel  at  all — not  even  their  duty  to  attend 
the  church  services  or  to  take  up  any  regular 
service  for  Christ.  Everything  except  the  "  re- 
vival "  is  tame,  insipid  and  unattractive.  They 
are  much  like  the  little  boy  who  was  in  the  habit 


56  Normal  Evangelism 

of  going  to  the  prayer-meeting  with  his  grand- 
mother— both  enjoying  it  very  much.  One  day 
a  circus  came  along  and  the  httle  boy  went  to 
see  it.  He  came  home  in  high  spirits  over  his 
visit  to  the  circus,  and  his  first  greeting  to  his 
grandmother  was  :  "  Oh,  grandmother,  you  just 
ought  to  have  been  with  me  at  the  circus ! 
Grandmother,  if  you  were  to  go  with  me  just 
once  to  the  circus  you  would  never  want  to  go 
to  the  prayer-meeting  again."  The  httle  boy's 
standard  had  changed  or  rather  had  been  demoral- 
ized. Whereas  he  had  previously  measured 
every  enjoyment  by  the  prayer-meeting,  he  has 
now  come  to  measure  them  by  the  circus.  We 
would  not  belittle  the  modern  "  evangelist's " 
work  by  comparing  it  with  a  circus,  but  we  do 
know  that  the  usual  standard  set  by  their  *'  re- 
vivals "  is  not  helpful  to  the  highest  development 
of  Christian  life  and  service. 

It  is  not  a  question  as  to  whether  the  "  pro- 
fessional evangelist "  is  doing  good,  so  much  as 
a  questio7i  as  to  whether  he  is  needed  to  do  the 
kind  of  work  which  is  done  by  him  at  the  present 
time.  The  office  of  "  evangelist  "  as  we  have  it 
to-day,  except  in  a  missionary  sense  (see  Chap- 
ter III),  is  not  a  Scriptural  office.  According  to 
Prof.  W.  O.  Carver,  Th.  D.,  the  evangelist  in  New 
Testament  times  was  the  home  missionary  while 
the  apostle  was  the  foreign  missionary.  In  the 
light  of  this  interpretation,  which  we  accept  as 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    57 

correct,  we  can  readily  see  that  the  "  professional 
evangelist "  belongs  to  neither  class.  In  fact  he 
is  very  difficult  of  classification.  Like  a  certain 
specimen  which  the  scientist  finds  with  character- 
istics indicating  that  it  belongs  to  a  particular 
class,  yet  possessing  other  characteristics  which 
forbid  such  classification,  so  the  "  professional 
evangelist "  possesses  some  of  the  qualifications 
of  the  New  Testament  evangelist  in  that  he 
preaches  the  good  news  of  salvation,  at  least  a 
part  of  the  time,  yet  this  does  not  entitle  him  to 
the  name — "  evangelist "  any  more  than  is  the 
pastor  entitled  to  it  who  preaches  the  Word 
faithfully.  Dr.  Goodell  is  right  when  he  says, 
*'  No  man  with  a  special  and  limited  function  has 
any  right  to  monopolize  the  name — evangelist." 
On  the  other  hand,  the  "  professional  evangelist " 
possesses  methods,  manners  and  so  forth  of  such 
questionable  character  as  to  disqualify  him  utterly 
for  the  name  evangelist  in  the  original  sense.  So 
far  as  the  New  Testament  goes,  and  that  is  our 
only  guide,  there  is  not  one  particle  of  authority 
for  the  "  professional  evangelist  "  as  we  now  have 
him — who  goes  up  and  down  the  length  and 
breadth  of  our  land  simply  holding  meetings, 
and  for  the  most  part,  with  pastors  and  churches 
which  are  self-sustaining  and  wholly  capable  of 
doing  the  work  which  he  does  far  more  effectively 
if  they  only  had  a  mind  to  do  so.  All  this  he 
does  without  accounting  to  any  church  or  its 


^8  Normal  Evangelism 

representatives  as  he  should  do  if  he  would 
reckon  himself  to  be  a  New  Testament  evangelist. 
That  the  brethren  who  are  thus  engaged  in  re- 
ligious work  are  7ieeded  more  in  other  capacities 
may  be  seen  from  the  two  simple  facts  which  are 
here  given :  The  Year  Book  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing denominations  for  1909  shows  that  there  are 
in  this  country  48,302  churches  of  that  particular 
denomination,  and  34,132  ordained  ministers, 
which  reveals  the  remarkable  fact  that  the  excess 
of  churches  over  ministers  is  14,170.  Of  course, 
it  will  be  remembered  that  a  number  of  these 
ministers  have  more  than  one  church,  but  that  is 
more  than  offset  by  the  fact  that  so  many  of 
these  ministers  have  not  the  care  of  churches. 
They  are  teachers,  presidents,  editors,  secretaries, 
while  many  are  superannuated,  or  inactive  as  far 
as  religious  work  is  concerned.  Now  add  to  this 
list  those  who  are  engaged  in  "  evangelistic  work  " 
and  we  can  see  that  of  necessity  a  large  number 
of  churches  must  remain  pastorless  and  thus  run 
the  risk  of  becoming  extinct,  or  merely  maintain 
an  existence  with  meagre  pastoral  assistance 
from  one  minister  who  has  three  or  four  churches 
on  hand.  Then  when  we  think  of  many  calls 
for  helpers  in  our  various  mission  fields,  does  it 
not  seem  that  we  have  an  overlapping  in  relig- 
ious interests  such  as  is  not  warranted  by  present 
needs  and  conditions  or  by  the  teaching  of  the 
Word  of  God  ?     And  does  it  not  seem  reasonable 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    59 

that  if  the  great  majority  of  "  professional  evan- 
gelists "  were  to  go,  either  into  the  pastorate 
where  they  can  do  effective  evangelistic  work,  or 
into  the  destitute  regions  beyond  as  did  the 
evangelists  of  New  Testament  times — in  other 
words,  become  real  missionaries,  that  our  evan- 
gelizing forces  would  be  greatly  increased  ?  and 
that  churches  and  pastors,  having  the  temptation 
to  depend  so  much  on  outside  assistance  removed, 
would  throw  themselves  more  heartily  into  the 
work  to  which  God  is  calling  them  ?  Of  course, 
we  do  not  fear  that  such  a  suggestion  will  create 
a  panic  in  the  ranks  of  "  professional  evangelists," 
for  some  preachers  are  afflicted  with  a  sort  of 
nervous  impatience  that  will  not  allow  them  to 
settle  down  in  one  place  long  enough  to  do  any- 
thing permanent ;  others  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  they  find  the  "  evangelistic  work "  more 
lucrative ;  some  are  in  the  work  simply  as  a  pas- 
time until  an  opportunity  for  a  better  field  comes 
before  them ;  some  are  there  because  they  have 
a  conviction  that  God  can  use  them  in  that  par- 
ticular work  better  than  in  any  other;  so,  for 
these  reasons  there  is  no  immediate  prospect  of 
an  exodus  of  ♦'  professional  evangelists."  Not 
until  pastors  and  churches  come  to  a  right  con- 
ception as  to  their  obligations  and  spheres  of 
activity  is  there  likely  to  be  brought  about  this 
much-needed  adjustment  in  the  method  of  ex- 
tending Christ's  kingdom. 


6o  Normal  Evangelism 

One  of  the  strongest  evidences  that  the  **profeS' 
sional  evangelist "  is  passing  away  is  the  fact 
that  there  is  "  a  growing  distrust "  as  to  his  work. 
He  has  been  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found 
wanting.  The  high-pressure  methods  of  the 
"  modern  evangelist "  have  been  found  to  be 
harmful  to  church  life  and  the  reactionary  effect 
has  often  proven  a  bar  to  any  successful  evan- 
gelistic effort  on  the  part  of  churches  and  their 
pastors  afterwards.  A  prominent  clergyman  of 
England  writes  thus :  "  All  our  efforts  have  to 
come  through  God-chosen  and  self-devoted  peo- 
ple ;  the  conversion  of  the  sinner  and  the  training 
of  the  child  must  ever  be  the  elementary  tasks. 
There  is  an  ever-increasing  offer  to  help  the  local 
pastor  in  holding  evangelistic  services ;  brethren 
in  the  neighbourhood  show  themselves  neigh- 
bourly, caravans  bring  around  humble  workers 
for  a  week's  mission ;  motor  cars  transport  lead- 
ers through  a  string  of  villages  to  dazzle  and  in- 
spire the  solitary  workers.  But  there  seems  to 
be  a  growing  distrust  of  mammoth  advertising 
campaigns  such  as  were  once  conducted  with 
effect,  but  which  now  leave  no  visible  trace  after 
dislocating  the  Christian  efforts  of  a  town  for 
several  weeks.  Spade  work  is  being  relied  upon 
more  than  steam  plows." 

The  "  evangelist "  of  to-day  does  not  preach  a 
whole  Gospel  and  for  that  reason  he  does  not 
meet  the  need  of  his  time.     What  sinners  and 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    61 

Christians  need  is  "  the  truth,  the  whole  truth, 
and  nothing  but  the  truth."  This  the  *'  pro- 
fessional evangelist  "  does  not  give  in  his  preach- 
ing. He  preaches  to  move  people  to  action 
and  leaves  much  Bible  truth  that  is  vital  and 
fundamental  wholly  untouched.  We  condemn 
the  practice  of  some  of  the  so-called  scholars  of 
to-day  who  go  through  the  Bible  and  with  scis- 
sors and  blue  pencil  cutting  out  and  marking 
out  whatever  their  own  self-instructed  judgment 
tells  them  should  not  be  there.  But  how  much 
better  is  the  practice  of  going  through  the  Word 
of  God  selecting  those  passages  to  preach  from 
which  suits  one's  fancy  and  at  the  same  time 
omitting  others  whose  truth  is  just  as  vital? 
The  covering  of  the  truth  in  their  living  leads 
to  such  omissions  in  their  preaching.  And  we 
ask  sincerely :  Can  such  omission  of  the  plain 
teaching  of  the  Scriptures  be  justified  on  any 
ground  whatever  ?  It  is  said  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing "  evangelists  "  of  to-day  by  a  writer  in  T/ie 
Christian  Evangelist,  St.  Louis  :  "  Most  of  his 
references  to  the  church  were  by  way  of  attack 
upon  the  imperfect  lives  of  its  members.  Rarely 
did  he  say  aught  that  would  lead  the  sinner  to 
feel  that  the  church  could  be  of  any  service  to 
him ;  and  captious  spirits  could  justify  them- 
selves in  scorning  the  invitation  of  the  church  to 
enter  its  fellowship  by  his  silence  as  to  the  im- 
portance of  the  ministry  of  the  church  to  men. 


62  Normal  Evangelism 

Had  he  frequently  and  earnestly  urged  the 
converts  to  enter  the  church  of  their  choice, 
assuring  them  that,  despite  its  sins  and  imper- 
fections, the  church  was  the  divine  method  of 
Jesus  for  giving  spiritual  strength  and  culture, 
the  results  in  additions  would  have  been  much 
greater." 

Our  plea  is  for  normal  evangelism  ;  for  more 
reliance  upon  earnest  prayer,  faithful  preaching 
of  the  Word,  the  leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
persistent  personal  effort,  and  less  reliance  upon 
the  "  evangelist "  with  his  clap-trap  methods. 
"  Evangelists  "  have  no  doubt  done  a  great  deal 
of  good  but  in  many  cases  it  is  some  good,  phis 
or  minus  so  much  harm.  God  has  raised  up 
great  «*  evangelists  "  to  meet  the  need  of  the 
time  and  they  have  wrought  nobly.  In  most 
cases  their  work  was  to  fill  up  the  gap,  so  to 
speak,  which  had  been  made  by  the  neglect  of 
pastors  and  churches  to  discharge  their  obligation 
to  the  unsaved  world.  It  is  quite  evident  that 
God  never  intended  to  save  the  world  through 
the  ministry  of  great  •*  evangelists  "  or  He  would 
not  have  made  so  few  of  them.  Here  and  there 
along  through  the  ages  God  has  raised  up  a 
Wesley,  a  Whitfield,  a  Finney,  a  Moody,  a 
Torrey,  a  Gypsy  Smith,  to  meet  a  pressing  need 
and  to  show  what  He  can  do  with  a  life  that 
surrenders  itself  fully  to  Him.  What  He  has 
done  for  these  men  He  will  in  a  large  measure  do 


Passing  of  the  Professional  Evangelist    63 

for  all  His  servants.  "  Power  belongeth  unto 
God."  Therefore,  let  the  people  of  God  every- 
where have  a  vision  of  a  redeemed  world  through 
the  service  of  Spirit-filled  ministers  and  aroused 
churches ;  and  then  let  them  quicken  their  pace 
towards  the  goal  of  victory. 

Let  no  one  think  that  this  chapter  is  meant 
to  be  a  wholesale  condemnation  of  "  evangelists." 
Our  chief  aim  has  been  to  point  out  some  of  the 
defects  of  modern  evangelism ;  in  the  following 
pages  it  shall  be  our  purpose  to  show  "  a  more 
excellent  way."  No  doubt  some  one  will  say : 
*'  You  must  have  had  some  very  unpleasant  ex- 
periences with  evangelists."  No,  such  is  not  the 
case,  for  I  have  never  had  a  professional  evangel- 
ist to  aid  me  in  a  meeting.  My  information  has 
been  gathered  by  a  study  of  this  question  for 
several  years.  There  are  evangelists,  however, 
on  whom  I  would  not  hesitate  to  call  if  condi- 
tions were  such  that  their  assistance  were  needed. 
There  are  evangelists  and  evangelists.  There 
are  some  brethren  who  are  giving  their  whole 
time  to  the  work  of  evangelism  who  might  be 
technically  called  ♦'  professional  evangelists,"  yet 
who  are  not  because  they  do  not  bear  the  marks 
of  professionalism.  Some  of  these  brethren  have 
been  pastors  and  avoid  the  objectional  features  of 
modern  evangelism;  they  are  able  to  render 
valuable  assistance  to  churches  and  pastors  need- 
ing assistance,  and  many  of  them  are  qualified  to 


64  Normal  Evangelism 

carry  on  the  work  of  the  pioneer  in  opening  new 
fields  and  in  establishing  new  churches.  There 
are  some  who  are  safe,  sane,  and  sound ;  then 
there  are  some  who  are  otherwise ;  the  otherwise 
are  the  ones  whom  we  should  guard  against.  It 
is  not  the  passing  of  the  evangehst  that  is  desired 
so  much  as  the  passing  of  his  professionalism. 
The  evangelist  in  the  true  sense  is  needed  ;  but 
his  professionalism  is  not  needed  in  any  sense. 


Ill 

The  Pastor  As  An  Evangelist 


I  am  persuaded  that  America  is  at  the  beginning  of  a  new 
day  of  evangelism,  and,  if  this  new  day  is  to  have  one  distin- 
guishing characteristic,  I  am  confident  that  it  will  be  personal 
evangelism.  One  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  of  the  times  is  that 
pastors  and  church  officers  are  being  awakened  as  to  the  sense 
of  responsibility. — J.  Wilbur  Chapman. 

I  believe  that  individual  evangelism  ought  to  be  the  watch- 
word of  our  new  century.  I  am  not  disposed  to  discount  the 
professional  evangelist ;  he  has  his  God-given  place  ;  but  I  am 
profoundly  convinced  that,  as  a  rule,  the  pastor  and  his  people 
ought  to  do  the  work.  The  very  endeavour  prepares  the  Church 
to  be  such  a  spiritual  mother  as  she  cannot  otherwise  be.  It  is 
our  prime  business  to  be  continually  searching  for  souls.  We 
need  not  revival  spasms,  but  the  kind  of  spiritual  vigour  that 
continues  through  all  the  year. — Samuel  H.  Greene. 

But  the  question  in  my  mind  is  this.  Is  the  gift  of  the  evangel- 
ist so  unique  that  it  cannot  be  expected  in  the  average  min- 
ister ?  I  cannot  admit  that  it  is.  The  power  of  the  evangelist 
usually  lies  not  so  much  in  the  superiority  of  the  gift  as  in 
the  superior  earnestness,  manifesting  itself  in  great  directness 
of  appeal  and  positive  belief  in  the  immediate  results.  And,  if 
that  be  the  case,  it  is  clear  that  it  is  a  gift  within  the  reach 
of  most  of  us.  If  we  have  it  not,  it  is  because  we  have  not 
sought  to  possess  it.  We  have  not  made  it  our  business  to  save 
souls.  We  have  not  studied  the  art  of  persuasion.  We  have 
been  content  with  some  other  function,  more  agreeable  to  our 
taste,  which  we  have  vainly  imagined  more  important.  Hence 
we  come  to  regard  the  evangelist  as  an  expert  in  a  branch  of 
spiritual  science  which  really  belongs  to  the  mere  alphabet  of 
our  own  calling  as  ministers.  Expert  in  the  winning  of  souls 
the  evangelist  may  be,  and  let  us  thankfully  acknowledge  his 
gift;  but  the  minister  in  his  regular  pastorate  should  be  an 
expert  too ;  and  if  he  is  not,  nor  seeks  to  be,  it  may  be  gravely 
doubted  whether  he  is  not  false  to  his  high  vocation  as  the 
ambassador  of  Christ. —  W.  J.  Dawson. 


Ill 

THE  PASTOR  AS  AN  EVANGELIST 

THERE  are  two  exhortations  in  the 
Word  of  God  which  the  pastor  can 
never  afford  to  lose  sight  of,  namely : 
*'  Feed  the  flock  of  God  which  is  among  you  " 
(i  Pet.  ii.  5),  and,  "  Do  the  work  of  an  evangel- 
ist "  (2  Tim.  iv.  5).  In  these  two  statements  is 
set  forth  the  whole  sphere  and  compass  of  the 
pastor's  work.  To  fail  to  heed  either  of  these 
exhortations  would  be  to  make  a  fatal  mistake. 
The  only  condition  under  which  a  pastor  might 
be  released  from  his  obligation  to  serve  in  these 
capacities  would  be :  either  that  there  was  no 
flock  of  God  to  feed,  or  that  there  were  no  un- 
believers to  whom  the  Gospel  might  be  preached. 
It  is  the  duty — the  mission  of  the  pastor  to  do 
both  when  possible ;  and  the  pastor  who  con- 
tents himself  with  doing  one  and  not  the  other 
consents  to  do  only  half  of  what  God  intended 
he  should  do.  And  there  are  few,  if  any,  among 
us  who  do  not  have  the  opportunity  both  to 
feed  the  flock  of  God,  and  to  do  the  work  of  an 
evangelist.  Therefore,  the  pastor  is  duty-bound 
to  "  make  full  proof"  of  his  ministry. 

67 


68  Normal  Evangelism 

We  find,  by  examining  these  two  passages  a 
little  more  closely,  the  former  applies  to  the 
minister  of  the  Gospel  in  his  relation  as  pastor : 
to  feed,  nourish,  and  tend  the  flock  of  God  over 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  has  made  him  overseer ; 
while  the  latter  sets  forth  the  relation  of  the 
minister  to  the  unsaved,  as  the  bearer  of  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  to  those  who  know  not  Christ. 
Taken  together,  they  are  simply  a  restatemeiit 
of  the  Great  Commission  which  every  true  minis- 
ter of  Jesus  Christ  seeks  to  carry  out  in  his  life- 
work.  Jesus  did  not  say  to  one  group  of  dis- 
ciples :  "  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of 
all  the  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit " ; 
and  then  to  another  group :  *'  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  commanded  you  "; 
but  He  combined  these  statements  in  such  a  way 
as  to  make  them  binding  on  each  individual  dis- 
ciple, and  therefore  on  every  preacher  of  the 
Gospel  from  that  to  the  present  time — yea,  for 
all  time.  Now  the  pastor  above  all  others  is  in 
a  position  to  fulfill  our  Lord's  last  great  com- 
mand to  "  make  disciples  "  and  "  to  teach  "  ;  he 
can  as  no  one  else  *'  do  the  work  of  an  evangel- 
ist "  and  "  feed  the  flock  of  God,"  and  if  he  does 
not  do  so  he  has  fallen  far  short  of  his  obligations 
and  privileges  as  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 

A  pastor  who  preaches  the  zvhole  Gospel  is  an 
evangelist.     It   is   an   interesting   fact   that  the 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         69 

words  "  evangelist "  and  "  gospel "  come  from  the 
same  word  in  the  original.  "  Gospel "  ^euay^'iXwv'j 
means  "  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  through 
Christ."  "  Evangelist "  {ebayYeXi<jT-q<i)  means  "  a 
bearer  of  good  tidings.  .  .  .  This  name  in 
the  New  Testament  is  given  to  those  heralds  of 
salvation  through  Christ  who  are  not  apostles  " 
(Thayer).  If  there  was  a  special  and  distinct 
work  for  the  "  evangelist "  of  that  time  he  seems 
to  have  been  under  apostolic  direction  and  was 
the  missionary  for  the  time,  publishing  the  good 
news  of  salvation  in  regions  where  the  Gospel 
was  unknown.  He  corresponded  to  the  mission- 
ary of  our  own  time.  Many  of  our  best  Bible 
students  think  that  the  office  of  "  evangelist,"  as 
such,  passed  away  with  the  period  of  the  inaugu- 
ration of  Christianity  as  did  that  of  "  apostle." 
In  his  book  on  "  Pastoral  Theology,"  Prof. 
J.  M.  Hoppin  says :  *'  If,  therefore,  we  use  the 
term  or  employ  the  office  now,  we  think  that  it 
should  be  wholly  with  this  sense  of  a  missionary 
work,  of  going  into  new  parts,  and  proclaiming 
new  tidings.  It  does  not,  therefore,  seem  to  be 
advisable  to  regard  the  *  evangelist '  as  a  separate 
office  or  a  work  distinct  from  that  of  the  *  pas- 
tor' .  .  .  for  even  the  foreign  or  home 
missionary  who  goes  forth  into  a  new  field  as  an 
*  evangelist '  expects  to  gather  a  church  and  be- 
come its  pastor."  "  The  English  word  evangel- 
ist," says  Prof.  J.  R.  Boise,  "  has  now  acquired  a 


yo  Normal  Evangelism 

more  limited  meaning  than  the  Greek  word  which 
signifies  one  who  preaches  the  Gospel  as  pastor  or 
in  any  other  relation."  Thus  we  can  see,  in  the 
light  of  these  reflections,  that  we  have  departed 
somewhat  from  the  Scriptural  idea  of  the  word 
••  evangeUst."  The  word  is  now  made  to  apply- 
to  just  one  class  of  gospel  heralds,  namely,  those 
who  go  about  holding  meetings,  when  in  reality 
every  preacher  who  does  his  whole  duty  must  do 
the  work  of  an  evangelist  whether  he  preaches 
the  Gospel  in  America,  China,  or  the  islands  of 
the  sea. 

Pastors  have  failed  in  evangelism  largely  be- 
cause they  have  failed  in  their  conception  as  to 
what  the  pastoral  office  implies.  The  idea  pre- 
vails to  a  large  extent  that  a  minister  of  Christ 
does  not  need  to  possess  evangelistic  gifts  to  be 
a  leader  and  a  teacher  of  the  people  in  spiritual 
things.  But  is  this  the  New  Testament  concep- 
tion of  the  ministry  ?  Did  not  Jesus  teach  His 
disciples  that  the  first  obligation  they  owed  to 
Him  and  to  the  world  about  them  was  that  they 
should  become  "  fishers  of  men  "  ?  Now,  to  be- 
come "  fishers  of  men  "  we  must  love  men.  There 
must  be  in  us  a  holy  passion  for  the  souls  of  the 
lost.  If  the  minister  of  the  Gospel  has  within 
him  this  holy  passion  for  souls  he  will  not  only 
seek  to  rescue  them  from  sin  and  error  but  he  will 
succeed  in  his  efforts.  Jesus  has  made  this  prom- 
ise to  all  His  true  disciples :  "  Ye  did  not  choose 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         71 

Me,  but  I  chose  you,  and  appointed  you,  that  ye 
should  go  and  bear  fruit  and  that  your  fruit 
should  abide."  This  means  that  the  disciple 
shall  be  effective  in  the  work  into  which  his  Lord 
has  called  him.  Did  not  Jesus  say  :  "  Come  ye 
after  Me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers 
of  men  "  ?  By  His  help,  by  His  promise,  yea,  by 
His  command  we  are  to  continue  the  work  which 
our  Lord  did  while  on  earth,  namely,  "  to  seek 
and  to  save  that  which  is  lost." 

The  evangelistic  spirit  is  the  highest  qualifica- 
tion for  the  pastor.  The  evangelistic  spirit  is  the 
spirit  of  love ;  and  if  the  pastor  has  not  enough 
love  in  his  heart  to  seek  by  prayer,  personal 
effort,  and  if  need  be  by  agony  of  spirit,  the 
salvation  of  those  lost  in  sin,  he  has  not  love 
enough  to  teach,  nourish,  and  care  for  them  after 
they  are  saved.  If  one  had  not  concern  enough 
for  me  to  save  me  when  I  was  at  the  point  of 
drowning,  I  would  naturally  care  very  httle  for 
his  words  of  congratulation  upon  my  safe  deliver- 
ance by  the  hands  of  another  when  I  knew  that 
had  I  depended  upon  his  efforts  to  save  me  I 
would  have  been  lost.  The  only  pastor  who  is  a 
safe  leader  of  God's  flock  is  the  one  who  would 
risk  all  to  save  them  if  they  were  lost.  The 
pastor  who  would  instruct,  inspire,  and  edify  the 
Christian  must  be  one  who  is  willing  to  become 
all  things  to  all  men  so  that  by  all  means  he 
might  save  some  who  are  lost.     A  spirit  that 


72  Normal  Evangelism 

leads  us  to  "  seek  and  to  save  that  which  is  lost " 
is  the  spirit  that  enables  us  to  lead,  teach,  and 
nourish  the  flock  of  God.  It  is  a  love  for 
humanity  that  we  need.  '*  If  I  speak  with  the 
tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  but  have  not  love, 
I  am  become  sounding  brass  or  a  clanging 
cymbal.  And  if  I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and 
know  all  mysteries  and  all  knowledge ;  and  if  I 
have  all  faith,  so  as  to  remove  mountains,  but 
have  not  love,  I  am  nothing."  We  may  have 
the  gift  of  eloquence ;  our  speech  may  be  with 
the  adornment  of  the  most  exquisite  rhetoric ; 
we  may  excel  in  spiritual  graces ;  we  may  have 
the  widest  range  of  knowledge ;  we  may  be  able 
to  instruct  and  entertain  in  the  highest  possible 
degree ;  but  if  we  are  lacking  in  that  one  essential 
for  all  Christian  service,  namely,  a  love  for  lost 
souls,  it  shall  profit  nothing.  Love  is  the  fulfilling 
of  our  ministry. 

What  shall  we  do  when  we  look  within  and 
observe  this  spiritual  dearth  in  our  souls  ?  I  do 
not  speak  as  one  who  has  attained,  for  sometimes 
when  I  look  within  I  am'^almost  made  to  tremble 
because  of  the  lack  of  spiritual  fervour  which  I 
find  there,  but  I  do  speak  as  one  who  is  struggling 
towards  the  goal  of  a  more  consuming  passion 
for  those  who  are  lost.  What  shall  we  do  when 
we  see  how  imperfectly  we  are  doing  the  Master's 
work  ?  We  cannot  go  on  as  we  are  without  this 
zeal  for  souls,  for  multitudes  are  perishing  because 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         73 

of  our  apathy.  We  cannot  cease  our  efforts,  for 
our  Lord  has  placed  us  in  this  work  and  we  have  no 
right  to  lay  it  down  without  His  command.  It  is 
not  on  record  that  He  ever  told  any  one  to  cease 
his  labours  after  he  had  once  begun ;  although 
He  did  tell  one  man  who  wanted  to  follow  Him  to 
return  to  his  home  [and  therej^tell  what  great 
things  God  had  done  for  him  (Luke  viii.  38,  39) ; 
and  another  who^expresseda  desire  to  follow  Him 
He  admonished  to  consider  the  matter  very  care- 
fully before  he  did  so  (Luke  ix.  57  f.) ;  but  to  no 
one  labouring  in  His  name  did  He  ever  say: 
"  Cease  your  labours,"  even  at  the  earnest  request 
of  His  disciples  (Mark  ix.  38,  39).  If  we  cannot 
go  on  as  we  are,  and  if  we  cannot  stop,  then  what 
can  we  do  ?  There  is  but  one  course  open  to 
us  :  let  us  go  upon  our  knees  in  prayer  to  God 
that  we,  like  our  blessed  Lord,  may  be  "  moved 
with  compassion  "  towards  suffering,  sin-cursed 
humanity ;  that  we  may  be  inspired  with  a  holy 
zeal  for  their  salvation ;  and  that  we  may  have 
the  faith  and  the  courage  to  launch  out  into  the 
deep  and  let  down  the  net  for  a  draught.  Such 
a  prayer  from  an  earnest  heart  cannot  fail  of  its 
reward.  "  And  this  is  the  boldness  which  we 
have  towards  Him,  that,  if  we  ask  anything  ac- 
cording to  His  will.  He  heareth  us." 

A  study  of  present  conditions  will  reveal  the 
fact  that  the  spirit  of  evangelism  is  at  a  very  low 
ebb  in  most  of  our  churches.    Dr.  Goodell  says 


74  Normal  Evangelism 

in  *'  Pastoral  and  Personal  Evangelism  "  :  "  The 
percentage  of  increase  in  Protestantism  in  the 
last  decade  has  been  the  smallest  of  any  decade 
in  a  hundred  years.  There  has  been  much  heart- 
searching  on  the  part  of  ministers  and  laity,  and 
the  dawn  of  a  better  day  glows  already  in  the 
East."  As  is  shown  in  these  words,  let  us  face 
the  facts  as  they  are,  however  displeasing  they 
may  be,  but  let  us  face  them  with  the  spirit  of  an 
optimist,  for  Christ  is  leading  us  onward.  The 
optimistic  spirit  is  the  only  spirit  that  will  give 
success  in  this  work.  We  as  pastors  are  largely 
responsible  for  this  state  of  affairs.  No  doubt 
we  have  failed  in  our  duty  in  many  respects,  but 
it  is  my  humble  opinion  that  we  have  come 
nearer  fulfiUing  those  duties  which  relate  to  the 
pastoral  part  of  our  ministry  than  we  have  in 
filling  up  the  measure  of  responsibility  in  regard 
to  the  evangelistic  part.  We  as  pastors  have 
minimized  evangelism  as  though  it  were  a  side 
issue,  when^the  truth  is  we  should  magnify  it  as 
being  first  in  importance  in  all  our  work.  Jesus 
put  this  work  first — both  in  precept  and  example 
— and  should  not  we  do  the  same  ?  If  we  have 
made  this  mistake  let  us  acknowledge  it,  search 
out  the  cause  of  it,  and  seek  by  the  help  of  God 
to  correct  it. 

One  cause  for  f/ie  mhtimiziTig  of  the  evangelis- 
tic gift  and  the  spiritual  dearth  resulting  from  it, 
no  doubt,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  there  are  so 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         75 

many  shining  examples  of  the  non-evangehstic 
type  of  ministers.  There  is  Doctor  So-and-so,  a 
scholarly,  refined,  elegant  gentleman,  and  he  is 
no  part  of  an  evangelist.  He  avows  that  he  is 
not  without  any  hesitation  or  apparent  regret, 
and  further  demonstrates  that  he  is  not  by  the 
fact  that  he  rarely  has  a  conversion  under  his 
ministry.  He  shows  his  deep  concern  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  community  by  importing 
a  brother  whom  he  denominates  as  belonging  to 
the  evangelistic  type  to  do  the  work  of  an  evan- 
gelist for  him  instead  of  doing  it  himself.  He 
does  the  most  important  part  of  his  ministerial 
work  by  proxy — a  thing  which  he  most  vehe- 
mently condemns  in  the  members  of  his  flock. 
Then  after  the  other  preacher  has  done  his  work 
for  him  he  moves  calmly  on  without  any  apparent 
concern  for  the  souls  of  the  lost  for  the  next  fifty- 
two  weeks  in  the  year.  His  influence  in  thus 
evading  his  plain  duty  as  a  minister  of  Christ  has 
its  ill  effect  not  only  upon  his  own  people  but  on 
other  ministers  who  look  upon  him  as  the  highest 
type  of  ministerial  perfection. 

The  idea  of  classifying  preachers  into  groups, 
such  as  the  scholarly,  oratorical,  spiritual,  execu- 
tive, practical,  and  the  evangelistic,  has,  no  doubt, 
led  many  to  conclude  that  it  was  a  matter  of  little 
concern  as  to  what  group  or  type  they  belong. 
If  one  happened  to  belong  to  the  non-evangelis- 
tic type  it  was  all  well  and  good,  he  thinks,  for 


^6  Normal  Evangelism 

that  is  the  type  best  suited  to  his  temperament, 
tastes,  and  preferences,  and  is  the  type  to  which 
a  very  large  number  of  preachers  belong.  We 
recognize  the  fact  that  God  can  and  does  use  men 
of  different  capacities,  talents,  and  temperaments 
in  the  work  of  the  ministry.  It  would  be  folly  to 
insist  that  all  ministers  be  made  in  the  same 
mould,  for  even  the  early  disciples  of  Jesus  were 
very  different  in  character  and  temperament;  yet 
this  must  be  observed  in  the  early  disciples,  that, 
in  spite  of  their  idiosyncrasies,  they  were  all 
evangelists.  Even  though  there  are  some  in 
whom  the  various  qualities  are  more  pronounced, 
that  does  not  signify  that  we  are  not  to  make  any 
effort  to  possess  those  qualities  in  which  we  rec- 
ognize our  own  deficiency.  For  example  :  be- 
cause I  am  conscious  of  the  fact  that  I  can  never 
achieve  distinction  as  a  scholar  need  not  deter 
me  from  an  honest  effort  to  be  accurate  in  what 
I  say  and  to  seek  original  truth ;  the  fact  that  I 
can  never  be  a  great  orator,  is  no  reason  why  I 
should  not  improve  my  powers  of  expression* 
the  fact  that  I  have  not  the  evangelistic  gifts  of 
a  Spurgeon  or  a  Wesley  does  not  mean  that  I 
have  none  at  all.  After  all  there  is  in  reality 
only  one  type  of  true  ministers  and  that  is  the 
evangeUstic  type ;  all  other  so-called  types  are 
only  modifications  of  that  one  great  type  to 
which  Jesus  and  His  disciples  belonged  and  to 
which  all  who  love  their  Lord  and  Master  should 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         77 

belong.  Let  the  minister  of  Christ  first  make 
sure  that  he  is  an  evangelist  and  then  he  can  be 
as  pronounced  as  he  pleases  in  all  the  other  qual- 
ities which  go  to  make  up  a  "  good  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ." 

We  as  pastors  have  not  always  lived  up  to  the 
standard  which  we  had  at  the  beginning  of  our 
ministry.     In  his  "  Evangelistic  Note,"  Mr.  W.  J. 
Dawson  says  :  "  Most  ministers  have  commenced 
their    ministries  with  evangelism.     That   which 
first  led  them  to  preach  was  a  real  passion  for  souls. 
Let  the  old  man  look  back  far  enough,  and  he 
will  see  a  youth  full  of  warm  enthusiasm  pleading 
with  men  and  women  for  their  redemption — a 
youth  who  was  once  himself.     What  has  changed 
him  ?     Very  often  nothing  more  than  the  dead- 
ening effect  of  a  continuous  pastorate.     He  has 
come  to  regard  himself  rather  as  the  calm  expos- 
itor of  truth  than  as  its  impassioned   advocate. 
The  note  of  appeal  has  disappeared,  or  has  been 
willfully  suppressed."     Only  a  short  time  since  I 
heard  one  of  our  leading  pastors  say  that  he  had 
observed    that    many  of  the  most  impassioned 
evangelistic  pastors  of  his  acquaintance  had  sadly 
declined  in  their  zeal  for  souls  after  they  were 
fifty  years  of  age.     I  immediately  asked  :  "  Need 
that  be  the  case  ?  "     That  is  an  interesting  ques- 
tion for  those  below  that  mark  as  well  as  for 
those  above  it.     Let  every  earnest  preacher  of 
the  Gospel  answer  it  for  himself.     Let  us  thank 


78  Normal  Evangelism 

God  that  there  are  some  who  have  not  lost  their 
fiery  zeal  even  though  much  beyond  that  age  and 
that  is  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  our  zeal  for 
God  need  not  wane  with  dechning  years.  I  am 
sure  that  it  will  not  wane  if  we  keep  our  standard 
high  enough.  One  of  the  largest  business  firms 
of  this  country  has  for  its  motto  :  "  Keep  the 
quahty  up."  And  that  is  not  a  bad  motto  for 
the  ministry :  let  us  keep  the  standard  up.  Let 
us  keep  the  fire  aglow  within  that  it  may  not  be 
said  of  us  :  "  Thou  didst  leave  thy  first  love." 

Many  have  failed  in  their  appreciation  as  to 
what  the  evangelistic  effort  implies.  They  think 
that  anybody  can  be  an  evangelist  and  can  preach 
an  evangelistic  sermon.  They  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  range  of  thought  and  the  breadth  of 
culture  of  the  evangelistic  preacher  is  necessarily 
limited ;  that  as  a  minister  advances  in  thought 
and  culture  he  retrogrades  in  evangelistic  fervour. 
There  is  an  idea  prevalent  to-day  that  learning 
and  culture  are  adverse  to  the  spirit  of  evangelism. 
It  was  told  me  on  good  authority  that  a  number 
of  students  in  a  certain  school  acted  on  that  as- 
sumption and  burned  all  the  books  they  had  in 
their  possession  except  their  Bibles.  Such  an 
assumption  is  a  grievous  error.  There  is  no 
effort  which  a  man  can  make  that  calls  so  much 
into  play  every  power  of  his  being  as  does  the 
appeal  to  men  to  decide  for  Christ.  To  arouse 
interest,  to  hold  the  attention,  to  make  clear  the 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         79 

message  to  the  understanding,  and  to  move  the 
will  to  action  requires  all  the  energies  of  mind, 
soul,  and  body  and  affords  opportunity  for  the 
very  highest  use  of  all  the  knowledge  and  culture 
a  man  has  been  able  to  acquire. 

The  time  was  when  a  man  who  had  received 
some  recognition  as  a  scholar  was  considered 
above  making  an  effort  in  evangelism.  It  was 
thought  to  be  beneath  his  dignity.  Nobody  ever 
dreamed  of  a  professor  of  theology  as  going  out 
to  engage  in  an  evangelistic  campaign.  But  I 
am  glad  the  tide  of  thought  is  changing.  Only 
a  short  time  ago  the  president  of  the  largest 
theological  seminary  in  the  country,  who  is  also 
professor  of  theology  in  that  institution,  went  to 
one  of  our  Southern  cities  to  begin  an  evangel- 
istic campaign  with  a  series  of  lectures.  Now 
can  you  think  of  the  erstwhile  theological  pro- 
fessor, Rev.  Dr.  Dry-as-dust,  as  going  out  to 
begin  an  evangelistic  campaign  ?  You  would  be 
about  as  likely  to  think  of  starting  a  fire  on  a  cold 
winter  morning  by  pouring  water  on  the  wood 
and  kindling.  And  yet,  why  should  not  a  pro- 
fessor of  theology  be  an  evangelist  ?  I  am  glad 
to  know  that  some  of  them  are.  For  the  very 
next  week  after  the  event  in  question  the  follow- 
ing item  of  news  appeared  in  TJie  Baptist  World: 

"  Evangelist    H reports   a  glorious  opening 

of  the  New  Orleans  campaign.  Seven  were 
converted    at    one    of    Dr.    M s'    lectures. 


8o  Normal  Evangelism 

Several  have  given  themselves  to  the  ministry." 
As  I  read  that  simple  announcement  my  heart 
rejoiced  and  I  could  not  refrain  the  remark: 
"  There  we  have  the  ideal  combination — a  man 
with  intellectual  acumen,  breadth  of  scholarship, 
deep  piety,  and  along  with  it  all  evangehstic 
fervour."  Such  men  and  such  efforts  and  such  re- 
sults will  in  time  restore  evangelism  to  its  proper 
place  in  the  minds  of  the  people  generally  and 
will  exalt  it  to  the  first  place  in  the  ministry. 
Mr.  Dawson's  words  are  to  the  point  when  he 
says :  "  The  evangelist  will  gain  immensely  in 
power  by  being  also  a  thinker.  .  .  .  Can  we 
refuse  the  deduction  that  evangelism  has  every- 
thing to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose  by  the  closest 
possible  alliance  with  culture  ?  And,  in  the  con- 
ditions of  our  own  time,  with  its  constantly  rising 
standard  of  education,  is  not  the  union  of  culture 
with  evangelism  absolutely  necessary  if  evangel- 
ism is  once  more  to  become  a  national  force  ?  " 

The  imperative  need  of  to-day  is  more  evangel- 
istic pastors — men  who  can  and  will  lead  their 
people  in  the  work  of  soul-winning  continually. 
We  would  not  depreciate  the  work  of  the  pro- 
fessional evangelist,  for  many  of  them  have  done 
and  are  doing  a  noble  work  for  God — God  bless 
them  !  but  their  large  sphere  of  usefulness  has 
been  made  possible  chiefly  by  the  dereliction  of 
pastors  to  exercise  and  improve  their  own 
evangelistic  gifts,  and  to  foster  the  evangelistic 


The  Pastor  as  an  Evangelist         8l 

spirit  in  their  churches.  It  is  as  great  a  sin  for 
a  man  to  depreciate  his  abihty  as  it  is  for  him 
to  overestimate  it.  Too  many  pastors  are 
afflicted  with  a  sort  of  false  modesty  which  tells 
them  that  it  would  be  presumption  for  them  to 
attempt  an  earnest,  systematic,  prolonged  effort 
to  win  people  to  Christ,  or  to  ask  their  people 
to  join  Avith  them  in  making  such  an  effort. 
Think  of  the  men  of  a  life-saving  station  hesi- 
tating as  to  whether  they  should  go  in  and 
rescue  those  who  are  about  to  be  lost !  Many 
think  they  are  not  fitted  for  the  work  of  rescuing 
those  who  are  lost.  Then  why  are  we  in  the 
ministry  ?  Has  not  Jesus  said :  "  I  will  make 
you  to  become  fishers  of  men  "  ?  It  is  not  we 
after  all  who  do  the  work  but  God  who  works 
through  us.  It  is  our  business  to  preach  the 
message  faithfully,  fervently,  continually,  and 
then  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  as  to  whether 
God  will  do  His  part.  His  promise  is  sure : 
"  So  shall  My  Word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of 
My  mouth:  it  shall  not  return  unto  Me  void, 
but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please, 
and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent 
it." 

Every  pastor  is,  therefore,  an  evangelist.  Let 
each  of  us,  then,  strive  to  attain  all  that  the 
office  implies.  Mr.  Torrey  recently  said  :  "  To 
be  a  pastor  is  the  greatest  honour  ever  bestowed 
on  mortal  man."     Do  we  appreciate  the  possi- 


82  Normal  Evangelism 

bilities  that  are  within  our  reach?  I  beheve 
that  the  solution  of  almost  every  problem  that 
touches  the  progress  of  our  churches  to-day 
shall  have  been  reached  when  pastors  become 
the  leaders  in  all  evangelistic  movements,  and 
when  they  lead  their  people  to  realize  that 
pastors  and  people  constitute  the  evangelizing 
forces  through  which  shall  be  accomplished  the 
redemption  of  the  world.  We  must  know  that 
the  work  of  the  pastor  is  also  the  work  of  an 
evangelist ;  that  they  are  not  separate  offices 
to  be  performed  by  separate  persons,  but  func- 
tions of  the  same  office  to  be  performed  by  the 
same  person  ;  that  God  will  hold  us  responsible 
if  we  are  recreant  to  our  duty  in  either  respect. 
We  need  more  men  who — to  use  the  words  of 
Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon — "  preach  an  evangelistic  Gospel, 
have  evangelistic  consciences,  pursue  evangelistic 
method,  magnify  evangelistic  experience,  and 
live  the  crucified  Hfe." 


IV 

The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic 


'  Each  church  needs  something  to  live  for  apart  from  itself 
and  its  own  local  work.  Nothing  short  of  participation  in  the 
sublime  undertaking  of  the  evangelization  of  the  world  is  ade- 
quate to  emancipate  from  selfishness,  and  to  call  out  the  best 
energies  of  mind  and  heart.  How  the  missionary  vision  en- 
larges one's  view  of  the  world,  of  the  church,  and  of  the 
Gospel  \—John  R.  Mott. 

The  normal  condition  of  every  church  and  every  pastor  is 
evangelistic.  The  bane  of  many  a  church,  strong  in  numbers, 
intelligence,  wealth,  indeed,  every  element  of  strength  but  one, 
is  that  it  has  lost  the  seeking  note.  Congregations  meet, 
preachers  preach,  the  forms  of  worship  are  decorously  ob- 
served, but  all  without  any  purpose  to  reach  the  lost.  This 
brings  deadness,  and  in  this  atmosphere  of  death,  worldliness 
increases,  sound  doctrine  decays,  congregations  disintegrate, 
in  time  the  desolation  of  Zion  is  complete.  Doctor  Duff  well 
said  :  "  The  church  that  ceases  to  be  evangelistic  soon  ceases 
to  be  evangelical." — George  W.  Truett, 

There  are  times  in  every  church's  history  when  a  special 
meeting  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  will  be  the  main  object, 
and  in  which  the  aid  of  an  evangelist  or  other  pastor  is  es- 
pecially needed.  Yet  it  is  very  plain  that  no  pastor  ought  to 
depend  upon  such  meetings  and  such  outside  help  as  the  sole 
means  of  winning  souls  for  Christ.  There  is  danger  lest  we 
come  to  think  that  sinners  cannot  be  saved  except  at  a  special 
season,  and  that  we  come  to  depend  too  much  upon  these  un- 
usual and  special  means.  I  am  persuaded  that  many  of  our 
churches  and  pastors  are  making  serious  mistakes  just  here, 
and  are  forgetting  to  look  to  God  for  conversions  throughout 
the  year,  and  by  the  ordinary  means  of  grace. — E.  C.  Dargan. 


IV 

THE  NORMAL  CHURCH  EVANGELISTIC 

*'  A  ND  the  Lord  added  to  them  day  by 
IJL      day  those  that  were  saved  "  (Acts  ii. 

JL  JL  47).  This  is  the  record  of  the  progress 
of  the  great  revival  which  began  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  when  three  thousand  were  added  to 
the  apostohc  church  at  Jerusalem.  These  dis- 
ciples whose  hearts  must  have  greatly  rejoiced 
because  of  the  phenomenal  results  of  that  day's 
labours  might  have  reasoned  thus :  "  Surely 
this  has  been  a  wonderfully  successful  meeting  ! 
The  results  have  so  far  outreached  our  expecta- 
tions that  we  can  afford  to  do  nothing  for  the 
next  twelve  months.  We  can  now  take  a  much 
needed  rest.  Some  of  us  have  been  leading  a 
pretty  strenuous  hfe  for  the  past  two  or  three 
years  and  now  that  our  efforts  have  been  so 
signally  blessed  we  do  not  need  to  trouble  our- 
selves about  numbers  for  a  long  time  to  come. 
We  have  run  up  the  figures  in  the  column  of  the 
minutes  of  the  next  General  Association  to  such 
a  gratifying  height  that  we  can  just  do  nothing 
for  a  long  time  to  come  and  yet  feel  very  com- 
fortable." 

Yes,  judging  from  the  practice  of  many 
85 


86  Normal  Evangelism 

churches  at  the  present  day,  these  early  disciples 
might  have  reasoned  that  way  but  the  truth  of  it 
is  they  did  no  such  thing.  To  look  vi'ith  a  sort 
of  self-complacency  upon  the  results  of  their 
efforts  and  then  to  cease  their  efforts  when  all 
around  them  were  the  perishing  multitudes  was  a 
thing  unthinkable  with  them.  And  it  should  be 
with  us.  The  shame  of  it  that  our  actions  betray 
our  thoughts  that  we  do  not  expect  a  perpetual 
revival  too.  We  ought  to  have  it  and  could  have 
it  if  we  would  do  as  those  disciples  did.  The 
bane  of  the  church's  Hfe  in  so  many  instances  is 
the  "  dead  level  "  to  which  it  sinks  soon  after  the 
revival  season  is  over.  There  is  something 
vitally  wrong  when  this  is  the  case.  Once  a 
pastor  said  in  a  minister's  conference :  "  It  was  a 
common  occurrence  for  us  to  have  conversions  at 
our  regular  services.  The  brethren  wanted  a 
certain  evangelist  to  come  and  hold  a  meeting 
for  us.  It  was  against  my  judgment  to  do  so 
but  I  yielded  and  allowed  him  to  come.  Never 
afterwards  as  long  as  I  was  pastor,  and  that  was 
a  good  many  years,  were  we  able  to  hold  a  suc- 
cessful after- meeting."  The  revival  in  that  in- 
stance had  created  an  abnormal  condition  in 
which  it  was  difficult  to  reach  the  unsaved.  The 
normal  church  can  never  be  developed  or  main- 
tained by  the  abnormal  revival.  The  revival 
will  be  needed,  certainly,  but  let  us  seek  to  pro- 
mote a  revival  of  the  right  kind. 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     87 

Whenever  a  church  is  not  adding  to  its  mem- 
bership from  time  to  time  those  that  should  be 
saved,  it  would  be  well  to  inquire  seriously  into 
the  cause.  Indeed,  there  must  be  a  cause,  for 
that  is  not  the  condition  of  the  normal  church. 
Why  did  not  things  come  to  a  standstill  with 
those  early  disciples  as  they  so  often  do  with  us  ? 
Twice  we  read  in  the  same  chapter  that  they 
**  continued  steadfastly."  That  was  the  secret  of 
the  success  of  that  great  revival  period,  and  of 
every  other  revival  period  since  that  day.  They 
kept  right  on  at  work  after  the  "  big  meet- 
ing "  was  over.  They  "  continued  steadfastly  " 
to  go,  to  preach,  to  teach,  to  pray,  and  to  do  the 
will  of  their  Lord  and  Master.  The  fire  of  Pen- 
tecost was  still  burning  in  their  hearts ;  there 
were  still  others  to  be  saved ;  the  command  of 
their  Lord  was  still  in  force  :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  whole  crea- 
tion." The  fact  that  God  had  rewarded  their 
service  in  one  instance  was  proof  positive  that 
He  would  continue  to  do  so.  Have  we  not  the 
same  reasons  for  continuing  steadfastly  as  did 
these  disciples  of  old  ?  The  fire  of  Pentecost 
ought  to  be  burning  in  our  bosoms,  and  it  will 
burn  there  if  we  seek  for  a  filling  of  the  Spirit 
and  will  follow  His  leading  ;  there  are  yet  many 
to  be  saved,  and  they  are  perishing  for  the  Gos- 
pel ;  the  command  of  Jesus  is  in  full  force  to-day ; 
but  the  trouble  is  we  think  of  it  as  applying  to 


88  Normal  Evangelism 

the  missionary  and  the  heathen  when  it  applies 
with  equal  force  to  us  and  our  unsaved  friend  and 
neighbour.  And,  further,  we  need  to  know  that 
God  stands  just  as  ready  to  bless  now  as  He  did 
in  apostohc  times.  "  Behold  the  Lord's  hand  is 
not  shortened,  that  it  cannot  save ;  neither  is  His 
ear  heavy  that  it  cannot  hear." 

W/iat  is  a  church  ?  Before  we  go  further  in  the 
discussion  of  the^normal  church  let  us  note  the  use 
of  the  word  church  in  the  New  Testament.  Per- 
haps no  word  in  religious  Hterature  has  such  a  va- 
riety of  uses  as  the  word  church.  Briefly  speak- 
ing, there  are  but  two  uses  of  this  term  in  the  Word 
of  God.  There  are  a  few  instances  where  the  word 
is  used  in  its  largest  significance,  as  in  Col.  i.  1 8, 
"  And  He  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church  "  j 
also,  as  in  Heb.  xii.  23,  "  The  general  assembly 
and  church  of  the  first-born  who  are  enrolled  in 
heaven  " ;  here  the  word  is  used  to  indicate  the 
whole  body  of  believers  of  all  times  and  ages,  in 
heaven  and  on  earth.  It  is  sometimes  called  the 
universal  invisible  church.  As  yet,  it  is  only  an 
ideal  assembly  without  organization  or  authority, 
having  received  no  promise  or  command  from 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  is,  therefore,  impotent  in  the 
sense  of  being  a  factor  in  the  extension  of 
Christ's  kingdom  on  earth.  '  The  most  common 
use  of  the  word  in  the  New  Testament  is  with 
reference  to  the  local  churchy  which  is  composed 
of  a  smaller  number  of  believers  who  have  united 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     89 

themselves  according  to  the  teaching  of  Christ 
and  the  apostles  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out 
the  will  of  their  Lord,  namely,  the  establishment 
of  His  kingdom  in  themselves  and  in  the  world. 
This  is  the  body  that  can  do  things,  because  it 
has  received  the  commands,  promises,  and  author- 
ity of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  is,  therefore,  the 
most  powerful  body  on  earth  for  the  propagation 
of  truth  and  for  the  establishment  of  a  reign  of 
righteousness.  The  local  church  was  the  institu- 
tion founded  by  Christ,  and  which^has  grown  and 
multiplied  from  that  day  to  this,  and  will  con- 
tinue to  do  so  until  our  Lord's  return  to  earth. 

What  constitutes  a  local  church  ?  Is  it  simply 
a  body  of  Christian  behevers  organized  for  re- 
ligious worship  and  service  ?  Not  by  any  means. 
Such  an  organization  is  good  as  far  as  it  goes, 
but  it  does  not  go  far  enough  to  be  in  fact  a 
church.  To  sum  up  briefly,  a  New  Testament 
church  must  be:  (i)  founded  solely  upon  the 
Scriptures ;  (2)  composed  of  a  regenerate  mem- 
bership; (3)  its  members  must  be  believers  who 
have  been  baptized  upon  a  profession  of  personal 
faith  in  Christ ;  (4)  it  must  recognize  and  observe 
the  ordinances  as  divinely  appointed,  not  only  as 
to  their  significance  but  as  to  the  order  in  which 
they  shall  be  observed — baptism  preceding  the 
Lord's  Supper;  (5)  it  must  recognize  the  right  of 
the  individual  to  worship  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  conscience ;  (6)  there  must  be  a  sepa- 


go  Normal  Evangelism 

ration  of  church  and  state ;  (7)  it  must  recognize 
responsibiUty  to  Christ ;  (8)  it  must  seek  the  will 
of  Christ  in  all  things  so  far  as  revealed  in  His 
Word  and  by  His  Holy  Spirit. 

Thus,  we  see,  the  normal  church  is  founded  in 
truth.  It  has  been  begotten  by  the  "  Word  of 
God,  which  liveth  and  abideth  forever."  This  is 
the  one  element  that  differentiates  a  church  from 
all  other  organizations,  namely,  that  it  has  been 
brought  into  being  through  the  will  of  God  and  by 
the  power  of  His  eternal  truth.  Truth  has  in  it 
Hfe ;  life  must  have  in  it  the  power  of  growth ;  a 
church  must,  therefore,  grow  because  it  has  in  it 
the  "  word  of  hfe  "  and  the  "  spirit  of  life."  There 
is  but  one  alternative  :  if  a  church  does  not  grow 
it  must  die.  It  is  a  law  that  whatever  has  life 
must  grow  if  it  is  to  maintain  that  life.  Through 
the  operation  of  "  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  " 
the  church  has  power  to  reproduce  itself.  There- 
fore, the  church  must  recognize  that  power  which 
is  immanent  in  her  body  and  must  seek  that  de- 
velopment which  is  in  harmony  with  the  divine 
will.  Let  us  see  what  Paul  says  of  this  normal 
growth  in  Eph.  iv.  11-17:  "And  He  gave  some 
to  be  apostles ;  and  some,  prophets  ;  and  some, 
evangelists  ;  and  some,  pastors  and  teachers  ;  for 
the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  unto  the  work  of 
ministering,  unto  the  building  up  of  the  body  of 
Christ :  till  we  all  attain  unto  the  unity  of  the 
faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God, 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     91 

unto  a  full  grown  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  the  fullness  of  Christ :  that  we  may  be 
no  longer  children,  tossed  to  and  fro  and  carried 
about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight 
of  men,  in  craftiness  after  the  wiles  of  error  ;  but 
speaking  the  truth  in  love,  may  grow  up  in  all 
things  into  Him,  who  is  the  head, even  Christ;  from 
whom  all  the  body  fitly  framed  and  knit  together 
through  that  which  every  joint  supplieth,  accord- 
ing to  the  working  in  due  measure  of  each  several 
part,  maketh  the  increase  of  the  body  unto  the 
building  up  of  itself  in  love." 

In  the  reading  of  this  passage  these  facts  are 
patent;  (i)  Christ  is  the  head  of  the  church; 
(2)  the  church  which  constitutes  His  body  is 
fitly  joined  and  compacted  together  through  the 
unity  of  its  individual  members  ;  (3)  through  the 
cooperation  of  these  members,  including  the 
spiritual  leaders,  there  is  a  growth  which  fosters 
an  increase  of  that  body,  or  church,  unto 
the  building  up  of  itself  in  love.  The  normal 
church,  then,  is  a  unit  with  every  integral  part 
supplied ;  growing,  developing,  perfecting  itself 
in  love ;  it  is  sufficient  within  itself  to  fulfill  its 
mission  in  the  world,  and  to  maintain  its  own 
existence  by  an  increase  of  its  own  body  from 
time  to  time  without  the  intervention  of  outside 
agencies.  With  this  conception  of  a  church  there 
is  no  place  left  for  the  bringing  in  of  the  outside 
factor  to  be  used  in  the  development  and  mainte- 


C)2  Normal  Evangelism 

nance  of  the  local  church.  Only  when  the  local 
body  is  weak  and  insufficient  to  cope  with  the 
situation  is  there  need  for  assistance  from  without. 
And  when  such  aid  is  needed,  as  it  frequently  is 
with  our  weak  churches,  let  us  be  sure  that  the 
evangelists  and  helpers  are  those  whom  the 
churches  have  recognized  and  authorized  to  do 
such  work,  rather  than  have  it  done  by  whoever 
happens  to  come  along.  There  can  be  no  safe 
evangelism  apart  from  the  churches. 

The  normal  churchy  therefore,  must  groiv  of 
itself  if  it  is  to  live  and  fulfill  its  mission.  As 
long  as  it  depends  on  outside  assistance  for  de- 
velopment it  will  remain  one-sided  and  dwarfed. 
Many  a  church  has  remained  a  dwarf  all  its  Ufe 
because  of  too  much  assistance.  I  wonder  how 
a  dwarf  church  and  a  dwarf  Christian  look  in  the 
eyes  of  God  ?  Can  He  be  pleased  with  them  ? 
A  dwarf  may  be  interesting  as  a  freak  but  it  is 
of  little  practical  value.  People  -may  look  at  it 
through  curiosity  but  such  a  creature  does  not 
excite  any  admiration — rather  pity  or  contempt. 
The  dwarf  has  failed  of  its  mission  in  life,  and  so 
has  the  church  which  does  not  increase  in  num- 
bers and  spiritual  power.  The  words  of  Dr.  G. 
Campbell  Morgan  come  with  great  force  at  this 
point :  **  No  church  ought  to  be  allowed  to  exist 
that  has  not  added  to  its  membership  by  confes- 
sion of  faith.  If  a  church  is  existing  only  by 
letters  of  transfer,  it  is  time  the  doors  were  closed, 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     93 

and  '  Ichabod,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  has  de- 
parted '  was  inscribed  across  them." 

The  normal  church  is  evangelistic.     This  con- 
dition can  be  fostered  and  maintained  only  by 
the  cooperation  of  divine  and  human  agencies. 
We  must  strive  to  preserve  our  equilibrium  at  this 
point  for  it  is  very  easy  to  stumble  in  one  direc- 
tion or  the  other.     We  may  think  that  God  will 
do  everything  without  effort  on  our  part.     On 
the  other  hand,  we  may  think  our  own  work  will 
do  it  all.   (Evangelism  is  primarily  the  work  of 
God   and   secondarily  the  work   of  man.     We 
must  recognize  that  both  the  divine  and  human 
elements  are  necessary  in  all  Christian  service  or 
we  shall  fail.     People  are  saved  not  merely  be- 
cause we  have  preached,  prayed,  planned  and 
persuaded,  but  because  God  has  wrought  upon 
their  hearts   through   His   regenerating   power. 
"  Which  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will 
of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God." 
A  child  of  God  is  "  created  "  in  Christ  Jesus  and 
not  made    through   reformation,   education,   or 
resolution.     This  truth  we  must  thoroughly  fix  in 
our  minds,  then  we  are  prepared  to  see  how  God 
can  use  human  agencies  in  the  accomplishment 
of  His  work.     God  is  the  author  of  all  life,  power 
and  energy.     He  operates  in  the  realm  of  the  ma- 
terial by  means  of  laws  which  govern  matter. 
He,  likewise,  works  in  the  realm  of  the  spiritual 
through   spiritual   laws.     In  the  material  world 


94  Normal  Evangelism 

God's  laws  are  to  be  taken  into  account  or  man 
will  suffer  pain,  or  even  death.  In  the  spiritual 
world  spiritual  laws  have  to  be  reckoned  with  or 
we  shall  suffer  loss  and  defeat,  or  even  spiritual 
death.  In  the  world  of  matter  the  laws  have 
been  found  out  through  investigation.  In  the 
spiritual  world  they  are  revealed  in  the  Word 
and  by  the  Spirit.  It  is,  therefore,  our  privilege 
and  duty  to  know  the  will  of  God  that  we  may 
place  ourselves  in  harmony  with  Him  and  His 
laws  in  order  that  we  may  reaHze  His  power  in 
our  life  and  work.  "  The  only  church  which  is 
truly  evangelistic,"  says  Dr.  G.  Campbell  Morgan, 
"  is  the  church  which  realizes  within  her  own 
borders  all  the  will  of  her  Lord  and  Master  Jesus 
Christ." 

The  fact  that  the  Divine  Will  is  not  recognized 
and  honoured  is  a  cause  of  much  spiritual  dead- 
ness  in  many  churches.  Some  are  wondering : 
Why  can't  we  grow  as  other  churches  are  doing  ? 
Why  is  there  not  evidence  of  saving  power  here 
as  elsewhere  ?  Search  deep  enough,  my  brother, 
my  sister,  and  you  will  find  the  cause ;  and  nine 
times  out  of  ten  you  will  find  the  greatest  hinder- 
ing cause  right  in  your  own  heart.  "  Thou  art 
the  man ; "  and  if  you  will  turn  from  your  sin, 
the  chief  part  of  which  may  be  indifference,  and 
seek  the  living  God,  a  channel  of  blessing  will  be 
opened  up  between  your  soul  and  God  and  out 
from  your  life  will  flow  unmeasured  blessings  to 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     95 

others.  His  promise  stands  sure :  "  He  that 
beUeveth  on  Me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  from 
within  him  shall  flow  rivers  of  hving  water " 
(John  vii.  38). 

Many  churches  are  barren  of  fruit  because  of 
sins  which  they  are  harbouring  within  their  borders. 
Some  are  proud  and  self-complacent ;  others 
tolerate  social  evils  ;  some  are  out  of  harmony 
with  the  pastor,  perhaps,  because  he  has  preached 
too  plain ;  again,  some  churches  think  more  of 
dignity  than  of  spiritual  life,  they  wish  to  appear 
well  before  men  rather  than  before  God ;  others 
are  shorn  of  their  power  because  they  spurn  the 
poor  and  do  not  desire  their  presence  in  the 
house  of  God.  Nothing  could  be  more  foreign 
to  the  spirit  of  Jesus  who  gave  as  one  of  the 
credentials  of  His  divinity  :  "  The  poor  have  the 
Gospel  preached  to  them."  Let  the  churches  go 
to  work  and  carry  out  their  rubbish-heaps  of  sin 
and  worldliness  and  soon  the  song  of  the  Lord 
will  begin  in  their  souls.  Let  them  go  forth  into 
the  highways  and  hedges  and  bring  in  the  poor, 
the  distressed,  and  the  helpless  and  their  joy  shall 
be  made  full.  The  highest  joy  is  known  only  to 
those  who  do  the  will  of  their  Lord. 

The  church  and  its  pastor  constitute  the 
evangelizing  force  in  the  community — in  the 
world.  They  cannot  evade  their  responsibility 
to  the  unsaved  anywhere  and  yet  be  well-pleasing 
to   their   Lord.     We  must  have  the  missionary 


96  Normal  Evangelism 

spirit,  for  that  was  the  spirit  of  Him  who  said : 
"  Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  and 
constrain  them  to  come  in."  "  Go  ye  into  all 
the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  whole 
creation."  **  For  the  Son  of  man  came  to  seek 
and  to  save  that  which  was  lost."  "  If  this  was 
the  mission  of  Christ,  the  Head  of  the  church," 
says  Dr.  L.  R.  Scarborough,  *'  then  certainly  the 
main  business  of  the  great  spiritual  body  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  to  win  men,  and  to  train  men  to  win 
men.  No  preacher  and  no  church  can  be  most 
like  Jesus  and  not  win  souls.  Every  preacher 
and  every  church  is  most  like  Jesus  while  win- 
ning a  soul  to  salvation." 

But  before  a  church  can  be  indeed  a  normal 
church  the  indwidual  memhers  must  do  their 
part.  Too  long  have  the  members  allowed  them- 
selves to  hold  back  and  let  the  chief  part  of  the 
burden  fall  upon  the  pastor,  or  perhaps  upon  the 
pastor  and  a  few  faithful  ones.  It  is  not  just  that 
the  burden  should  be  so  unequally  distributed. 
It  is  not  right  that  Christian  people  should  have 
one  standard  of  Hving  and  service  for  themselves 
and  another  for  the  minister.  We  all  condemn 
the  error  into  which  society  has  fallen  in  erecting 
a  double  standard  of  morality — one  for  men  and 
one  for  women.  The  Word  of  God  teaches  us 
that  there  should  be  but  one  standard — a  pure 
life  for  both  men  and  women.  But  have  not 
Christian  people  generally  made  a  grievous  mis- 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     97 

take  in  having  one  standard  of  religion  for  them- 
selves and  one  for  the  ministry  ?  They  have  a 
very  high  standard  for  the  minister,  and  often  a 
very  low  one  for  themselves.  The  first  is  right 
but  the  second  is  wrong.  When  Christian  people 
come  to  the  point  where  they  are  willing  to  do 
and  be  what  they  expect  the  minister  to  do  and 
be — to  live  righteously,  give  generously,  serve 
faithfully,  pray  earnestly,  study  diligently,  witness 
gladly,  seek  to  win  souls  continually — then  in- 
deed will  God's  kingdom  have  come  and  His  will 
be  done  on  earth  as  in  heaven. 

The  normal  church  is  a  serving  church.  No 
church  has  a  right  to  exist  if  it  does  not  serve  the 
community  in  which  it  is  located.  What  does 
your  church  mean  to  the  people  about  you  ?  It 
must  do  something  more  than  hold  its  services 
and  keep  the  doors  of  its  building  open  at  stated 
times  for  worship.  It  should  be  2i  positive  force 
for  righteousness.  Unless  a  church  is  making 
itself  felt  as  a  power  in  the  moral  and  spiritual 
uplifting  of  the  people  who  are  under  its  influence 
it  is  making  a  sad  failure.  A  church  is  not 
merely  a  guide-post  along  life's  highway  point- 
ing out  the  right  path,  but  is  a  moving  army, 
fighting  sin  and  error,  rescuing  the  fallen,  defend- 
ing the  weak,  and  enlisting  new  recruits  in  the 
army  of  King  Jesus.  The  church  must  stand 
four  square  to  every  wind  that  blows.  It  must 
stand  for  truth  and  righteousness  not  only  in  the 


98  Normal  Evangelism 

lives  of  its  members  but  in  the  community,  the 
state,  the  country,  the  world.  It  should  be  in 
the  forefront  of  every  real  reform  movement 
which  is  for  the  good  of  mankind.  The  im- 
potency  of  our  churches  in  the  past  to  do  any 
effective  work  of  reform  has  been  enough  to 
excite  contempt  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  as  it 
has  done  in  many  quarters.  The  world  could 
formerly  say  to  us  :  "  Yes,  you  can  preach  and 
sing  and  pray  but  you  can't  do  anything  to  stay 
the  onward  course  of  evil."  But  they  cannot 
say  that  to  us  now.  The  churches  of  our  land 
are  awaking  to  their  duty  and  the  forces  of  evil 
now  see  that  their  most  powerful  antagonists  are 
the  churches  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  proportion  as 
we  fight  the  wrong  will  we  be  successful  in  ex- 
tending the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  "  The 
church  is  to  be  aggressive  in  capturing  men, 
fighting  against  wrong,  urging  everywhere  and 
always  the  claims  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  this  can 
she  only  be  as  within  her  borders  there  is  realized 
the  purposes  of  God." 

The  normal  church  must  minister  to  the  needs 
of  the  physical  man.  This  we  must  do  if  we 
would  follow  the  example  of  Jesus  "  who  went 
about  doing  good."  It  is  pertinent  to  ask : 
Have  not  Protestant  churches  lost  a  great  deal 
by  their  failure  to  give  more  attention  to  man's 
physical  needs  ?  Too  long  have  the  churches 
of  Christ  limited  their  sphere  and  function  to  the 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     99 

spiritual  and  moral.  This  service  we  ought 
to  have  done  and  not  to  have  left  the  other  un- 
done. If  anything  is  clear  from  the  example 
and  teaching  of  Jesus  it  is  that  His  churches  are 
to  care  for  the  sick,  the  poor,  and  the  distressed, 
as  well  as  for  the  sin-cursed  and  lost.  God  gave 
man  this  body  as  a  temple  of  the  soul.  To 
minister  to  the  physical  man  is  often  the  best 
means  of  ministering  to  the  spiritual  man.  The 
Word  is  full  of  teaching  on  this  subject,  and 
clearly  shows  the  emptiness  of  a  religious  pro- 
fession in  which  the  spirit  of  charity  is  lacking : 
"  If  a  brother  or  sister  be  naked  or  in  lack  of 
daily  food,  and  one  of  you  say  unto  them, 
Go  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed  and  filled ;  and 
yet  ye  give  them  not  the  things  needful  to  the 
body  ;  what  doth  it  profit  ?  "  (James  ii.  15-16). 

Does  this  mean  that  every  church  is  to  be 
an  institutional  church?  Not  necessarily.  But 
let  us  thank  God  for  the  institutional  churches 
we  have  and  the  excellent  work  they  are  doing. 
Their  example  is  helping  other  churches  to  see 
their  duty  to  the  whole  man.  We  need  to  return 
more  to  the  New  Testament  order  of  things. 
So  important  did  the  apostolic  church  at 
Jerusalem  consider  the  work  of  ministering  to 
the  poor  that  they  appointed  seven  deacons 
for  that  particular  service.  The  word  deacon 
means  one  who  serves^  and  the  chief  part  of  his 
service  was  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  needy. 


loo  Normal  Evangelism 

Have  we  not  gotten  somewhat  away  from  the 
original  design  of  the  office  ?  The  whole 
church  is  to  be  a  serving  church  with  the 
deacons  as  leaders  in  this  particular  part  of 
the  work.  "  If  any  man  serve  Me,  him  will 
the  Father  honour."  So  with  the  church  that 
seeks  to  honour  God  in  every  possible  way. 
The  spirit  of  the  true  evangel  is  the  spirit  of 
service  to  the  whole  man. 

The  normal  church  will  recognize  her  sources 
of  power.  One  of  these  are  the  young  men 
within  her  ranks  who,  by  virtue  of  their  natural 
endowments,  religious  training,  and  other  per- 
sonal qualifications,  are  fitted  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  Of  course  we  are  aware  of  the  fact 
that  no  man,  however  well  qualified  by  nature, 
is  eligible  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  unless 
God  has  called  him.  But  it  is  the  duty  of  God's 
people  to  prepare  the  way  for  such  a  call  in 
those  whom  they  think  capable,  by  training, 
prayer,  encouragement,  and  a  sympathetic 
interest.  Too  long  have  we  stood  aloof  from 
those  whom  we  thought  to  be  good  ministerial 
prospects  and  just  "  let  the  Lord  do  the  work," 
forgetting  that  the  Lord  works  through  means 
and  agencies  in  this  respect  as  in  others.  Many 
a  person,  no  doubt,  would  never  have  been  led 
to  Christ  except  through  the  direct  personal 
appeal  of  some  other  godly  person.  So  many 
a  preacher,  perhaps,  would  have  never  entered 


The  Normal  Church  EvangeHstic     loi 

the  ministry  but  for  the  kindly  interest  of  some 
one  in  whom  they  greatly  confided.  And  as 
many,  no  doubt,  have  remained  out  of  the 
kingdom  many  years,  and  it  may  be  forever, 
because  of  the  neglect  of  some  one  to  do  his 
duty,  so  it  is  likely  that  many  a  man  who 
should  have  preached  the  Gospel  has  remained 
out  of  the  ministry  until  almost  middle  hfe, 
and  perhaps  forever.  It  is  as  much  our  duty 
to  lead  young  men  into  the  ministry  and  urge 
their  thorough  preparation  for  it  as  it  is  to 
lead  people  to  acceptance  of  Christ  and  active 
service.  To  be  instrumental  in  leading  one 
young  man  into  the  ministry  may  be  the  means 
of  multiplying  yourself  many  times  as  a  soul- 
winner. 

The  normal  cliurch  must  have  a  more  exalted 
conception  of  the  ministry  before  she  can  be 
highly  successful  in  recruiting  the  ranks  of  the- 
ministry  with  the  very  best  men.  From  every 
direction  comes  the  cry  for  more  men  in  the 
ministry.  Why  this  dearth  of  ministers  ?  Are 
not  our  churches  largely  responsible  ?  Many 
Christian  people  have  wrong  conceptions  of  the 
ministry.  They  place  it  on  a  par  with  the 
professions  and  other  callings  and  instead  of 
heeding  the  Scriptural  injunction  with  reference 
to  ministers  :  "  Esteem  them  exceedingly  highly 
in  love  for  their  work's  sake,"  they  rather  mini- 
mize and  belittle  the  office.     Let  us  rather  lead 


102  Normal  Evangelism 

young  men  to  see  that  it  is  the  highest  of  all 
callings  and  that  no  greater  opportunity  for 
doing  good  and  receiving  good  is  open  to 
mortal  man  than  that  afforded  through  the 
Christian  ministry.  Let  us  remember  that  the 
world  is  bidding  for  our  young  men  of  brilliant 
parts  to  enter  its  various  vocations  by  holding 
up  alluring  inducements  and  glowing  pros- 
pects of  good  fortune.  While  we  rejoice  be- 
cause of  the  many  opportunities  for  the  young 
men  of  to-day,  let  us  bear  in  mind  that  nothing 
brings  so  great  returns  for  the  outlay  of  time, 
talent,  strength  of  mind  and  body,  either  in 
time  or  eternity,  as  the  work  of  preaching  the 
Gospel.  There  are  many  parents  who,  although 
they  have  great  respect  for  the  ministry,  would 
just  a  "  little  rather  "  their  sons  would  not  enter 
the  ministry.  I  fear  there  is  something  wrong 
with  the  heart  of  that  parent  who  would  ^not 
rejoice  because  of  the  fact  that  a  son  entertained 
serious  thoughts  of  the  ministry.  We  ought  to 
covet  the  best  gifts  for  our  children  and  no 
greater  blessing  can  come  to  any  Christian 
young  man  than  that  which  comes  in  response 
to  the  call  of  God  to  become  a  bearer  of  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  a  lost  world. 

Can  a  standard  of  normal  growth  he  attained  f 
The  fact  that  there  are  some  churches  in  our  land 
where  there  is  a  continuous,  steady,  healthy 
growth  is  proof  that  such  a  condition  is  not  im- 


The  Normal  Church  Evangelistic     103 

possible.  While  we  may  never  reach  our  ideal 
yet  we  should  strive  towards  it.  A  normal 
church  is  one  that  grows  according  to  an  estab- 
lished law  or  principle.  The  ideal  is  furnished  us 
in  the  Scriptures  together  with  the  formula  by 
which  the  ideal  is  attained  :  "  If  ye  abide  in  Me, 
and  My  words  abide  in  you,  ask  whatsoever  ye 
will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you.  Herein  is 
My  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit ; 
and  so  shall  ye  be  My  disciples." 

The  matter  is  largely  in  the  pastor"^ s  hands. 
If  he  would  strive  towards  the  standard  of  a  nor- 
mal church-growth,  as  every  true  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ  must  do,  then  let  him  j)reach  to  win 
souls.  Lectures,  entertainments,  dissertations  on 
philosophy,  and  gems  of  oratory  must  not  take 
the  place  of  the  gospel  message  if  he  would  malce 
the  regular  services  evangelistiG.  Let  him  sup- 
plement his  preaching  by  ^personal  ivorJc  at  the 
house  of  worship,  in  the  home,  in  the  stores,  in 
the  shops,  on  the  street,  that  he  may  "  by  all 
means  save  some."  He  should  train  his  jpeople 
to  do  personal  work  that  there  may  be  a  revival, 
not  for  a  few  days  only,  but  throughout  the  year. 
It  is  his  privilege  to  instruct  the  peojjle  in  the 
things  of  God,  and  out  of  the  mines  of  Scriptural 
truth  it  should  be  his  delight  to  bring  forth  treas- 
ures new  and  old.  In  prayer  and  thought  let 
him  live  close  to  God  and  bear  up  with  him  his 
people  to  a  throne  of  grace  that  they  may  have 


104  Normal  Evangelism 

fresh  visions  of  God's  glory.  He  as  no  one  else 
can  bring  before  the  minds  of  his  people  the 
world's  needs  and  thus  lead  them  to  a  more  con- 
secrated life.  He  can  by  wisdom  and  persever- 
ance secure  the  coojperation  of  his  church  and 
lead  its  members  into  various  lines  of  Christian 
activity.  That  pastor  who  seeks  the  leading  of 
the  Holy  Sj)irit  and  keeps  diji/rm  hold  on  Godhy 
faith  has  all  the  promises  of  God  vouchsafed  unto 
him,  therefore,  let  him  never  fear.  *'  Wherefore, 
my  beloved  brethren,  be  ye  steadfast,  unmovable, 
always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  for- 
asmuch as  ye  know  that  your  labour  is  not  vain 
in  the  Lord"  (i  Cor.  xv.  58). 


V 

Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism 


For  of  all  the  errors  that  have  wrought  ruin  to  the  church 
none  has  been  more  fatal  than  the  tacit  admission  that  the  work 
of  the  minister  is  a  thing  separate  from  the  work  of  the  evangel- 
ist,—  W.  y.  Dawson. 

The  pastor  must  never  cease  to  urge  soul-winning,  until  he 
gets  his  people  fired  with  the  responsibility  of  being  Andrews 
and  Philips.  Around  every  church  there  are  opportunities. 
Lost  people  everywhere ;  we  walk  with  them  and  talk  with 
them  every  day.  It  is  ours,  therefore,  to  show  a  personal  in- 
terest in  their  soul's  salvation. — Len  G.  Broughton. 

I  wish  to  say  here  what  I  have  elsewhere  hinted,  that  the 
man  to  preach  in  those  services  is  the  pastor  himself.  While 
much  can  be  said  of  the  wisdom  of  employing  evangelists  in 
special  cases,  the  purpose  of  this  book  is  to  help  every  pastor  to 
become  his  own  evangelist.  This  is  the  crying  need  of  the 
Church  to-day.  This  duty  must  not  be  laid  upon  another. 
Any  man  can  move  men  to  God,  when  he  is  himself  moved  of 
God.  It  is  not  in  human  nature  to  stand  the  pleading  of  a 
breaking  heart.  I  therefore  say  to  every  pastor,  "  Do  your  own 
preaching."  If  you  feel  the  need  of  the  help  of  your  brethren, 
get  it  in  some  ministerial  retreat.  But  when  it  comes  to  the 
revival  service,  throw  your  whole  soul  into  it  and  depend  upon 
God  and  your  church  for  help.  Good  results  have  doubtless 
come  from  meetings  in  which  several  pastors  have  preached  on 
succeeding  nights,  but  careful  and  long  continued  observation 
has  convinced  us  that  more  is  lost  than  is  gained  by  sharing  re- 
sponsibility with  others. —  Charles  L.  Goodell. 

The  church  seems  to  be  waiting  for  a  leader  of  the  New 
Evangelism,  and  every  now  and  then  some  one  appears  and  is 
hailed  as  our  Moses,  but  he  does  not  lead  us  into  the  land  of 
promise.  .  .  .  The  pastor  is  the  evangelist  of  his  parish. 
Every  minister  should  be  an  evangelist.  The  church  is  crying 
aloud  for  men  who  are  red-hot  with  zeal  to  save  souls. 

—J.  F.  Carson. 


PASTORAL  LEADERSHIP  IN  EVANGELISM 

PASTORS  must  hecome  the  leaders  in  evan- 
gelistic work.  Therefore,  it  is  an  excellent 
plan  for  a  church  and  its  pastor  to  hold  their 
own  special  meetings.  This  is  the  best  means  of 
developing  pastoral  leadership.  And  a  meeting 
of  this  kind  is  most  likely  to  foster  the  spirit  of 
evangelism  that  will  be  effectual  and  abiding. 
There  are  times,  of  course,  when  a  church  and 
pastor  may  with  great  profit  be  aided  by  another 
pastor  or  a  good  evangelist;  but  in  order  that 
Christian  people  may  be  led  to  a  deeper  and 
stronger  conviction  as  to  their  obligation  to  God 
and  to  a  lost  world — that  they  may  be  made  to 
realize  that  above  all  things  else  soul-winning  is 
the  real  business  of  the  churches — the  pastors 
must  become  the  leaders  in  all  evangelistic  move- 
ments among  the  churches.  Some  strong 
arguments  can  be  made  in  favour  of  securing 
outside  ministers  to  aid  in  revival  services,  and 
sometimes  that  is  the  wise  course  to  pursue,  but 
as  a  rule  it  is  without  question  better  for  a  pastor 
and  people  to  do  this  work  themselves  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  any  one  doubts 
107 


io8  formal  Evangelism 

this  let  him  try  the  plan  thoroughly  and  the  ex- 
perience will  be  sufficient  to  convince  him  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  such  an  effort. 

There  are  difficulties,  to  be  sure,  but  this  is 
true  of  any  great  and  important  work.  Is  it  the 
manly  thing  in  us  to  hunt  for  easy  ways  of  doing 
the  Lord's  work  ?  We  are  prone  to  move  along 
lines  of  least  resistance ;  but  is  it  right  ?  Preach- 
ers generally  are  not  hurt  with  hard  work,  else 
why  should  life  insurance  companies  regard  them 
as  "  good  risks  "  ?  The  thing  that  is  hurting 
ministers  most  is :  they  are  allowing  themselves 
to  be  dominated  by  the  "  tyranny  of  non-essen- 
tials," so  that  they  are  hindered  from  doing  the 
things  that  are  worth  while.  Many  a  pastor  is 
faUing  short  of  the  highest  ends  in  the  ministry 
because  he  cannot  keep  on  at  his  work  when  he 
knows  that  sisters  Brown  and  Smith  are  fussing 
and  fuming  because  he  does  not  come  around  a 
little  oftener  to  spend  an  afternoon  listening  to 
their  gossip  ;  or  because  he  fears  he  will  not  ap- 
pear public  spirited  he  becomes  president  or  sec- 
retary of  an  endless  number  of  societies,  clubs 
and  circles,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  his  valuable 
time  is  spent  circling  around  with  things  which 
are  of  no  moment ;  or  because  he  is  anxious  to 
appear  popular,  he  accepts  every  invitation  to 
make  speeches  and  addresses  and  attend  all  im- 
portant functions  in  the  community ;  all  of  these 
make  such  a  draft  upon  his  time  and   energies 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     109 

that  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  do  much  of  the 
real  work  which  he  is  called  to  do. 

The  question  of  securing  the  cooperation  of 
the  people  is  an  easy  matter  if  the  pastor  is  wise 
and  tactful.  Of  course,  the  scolding  preacher 
is  likely  to  fail  at  this  point  for  he  is  usually  not 
very  tactful  to  begin  with.  If  scolding  be  his 
habit,  let  him  leave  off  the  practice  for  at  least 
six  months  before  he  attempts  to  present  the 
matter  to  his  people,  else  he  will  fail.  Then  if 
he  does  succeed  in  leading  them  in  a  revival 
effort  it  would  be  well  for  him  not  to  scold  any 
for  at  least  six  months  afterwards  for  fear  of 
spoiling  all  the  good  he  has  done.  Then  per- 
haps by  that  time  his  habit  will  be  broken  and 
he  will  not  only  be  a  happier  and  better  man  but 
his  people  will  love  him  more  and  his  power  to 
lead  them  will  be  multiplied  many  fold.  The 
habitually  scolding  preacher  who  delights  more 
in  beating  the  sheep  than  in  feeding  them  will 
soon  find  himself  shut  up  in  a  very  small  corner 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom.  He  is  unfit  to  lead  the 
flock  of  God  unless  he  leads  them  out  into  the 
green  pastures  and  beside  the  still  waters  where 
they  are  nourished  and  cared  for  as  the  Great 
Shepherd  would  have  him  do.  I  am  frank  to 
say  that  if  I  were  a  layman  I  would  rebel  against 
sitting  under  the  preaching  of  a  habitually  scold- 
ing pastor. 

Let  the  pastor  who  would  lead  his  people  in  a 


1 1  o  Normal  Evangelism 

special  revival  effort  first  call  his  leading  hreth- 
Ten  together  and  lay  his  plan  before  them.  There 
may  not  be  the  heartiest  accord  at  once  for  they 
have  not  been  accustomed  to  doing  things  that 
way.  At  this  point  the  pastor  has  a  splendid 
opportunity  to  reveal  the  spirit  of  Jesus.  Let 
him  be  bold  yet  humble  ;  persistent  yet  patient ; 
earnest,  yet  self-controlled  ;  and  when  they  once 
see  that  he  is  deeply  in  earnest  they  will  be 
ready  to  join  him  in  the  undertaking.  There 
may  be  some  who  will  oppose  the  idea  of  a 
pastor  holding  his  own  meeting,  but  these  are  not 
the  ones  who  would  be  of  much  assistance  even 
if  he  should  conduct  the  meeting  their  way. 
Let  him  move  calmly  on,  strengthened  by  the 
prayers  and  cooperation  of  those  who  truly  love 
the  Lord,  and  sustained  by  the  consciousness  of 
knowing  he  is  following  the  Spirit's  leading. 

The  task  of  maMng  additional  sermons  is  a 
bugbear  to  some.  But  the  pastor  who  is  wise, 
alert  and  industrious  will  make  provision  for 
that  all  along  during  the  year  if  he  knows  he  is 
to  preach  during  the  revival  season  in  his  own 
church.  The  preacher  who  spends  all  his  time 
preparing  his  two  sermons  for  the  following 
Sunday  is  unwise,  to  say  the  least.  He  who 
does  so  usually  lives  "  from  hand  to  mouth  "  and 
never  has  anything  ahead.  The  wise  pastor  is 
an  alert  student  whose  powers  of  mind  are  ever 
active.     He  studies  his  Bible  systematically  and 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     ill 

preserves  the  results.  He  will  keep  a  list  of 
subjects  and  texts  with  outlines  and  notes  so  that 
the  work  of  making  a  new  sermon  will  be  an 
easy  matter.  He  will  read  good  books,  gather 
clippings,  observe  what  is  going  on  in  the  world 
about  him  so  that  when  it  comes  to  the  work  of 
making  a  few  extra  sermons  he  will  have  little 
difficulty  but  will  rather  delight  in  the  exercise. 
And  with  the  Holy  Spirit  to  lead  him  he  need 
never  fear. 

How  cmi  the  pastor  do  any  personal  work  f 
He  can  do  some  but  it  is  not  necessary  that  he 
do  it  all.  People  have  been  letting  the  preachers 
do  most  of  the  personal  work  and  thereby  have 
robbed  themselves  of  the  greatest  blessings. 
This  is  where  the  people  can  aid  the  pastor  most 
effectively.  Now  they  are  not  likely  to  do  much 
of  this  work  if  there  are  several  preachers  around 
to  do  it.  But  when  there  is  no  one  to  do  it  but 
their  pastor  and  he  has  trained  them  how,  they 
can  help  him  greatly.  This  is  one  of  the  great 
blessings  that  comes  to  a  church  when  a  pastor 
conducts  the  revival :  the  people  are  stimulated 
to  do  personal  work.  And  for  this  reason  alone 
the  effort  is  worth  while. 

It  is  not  needful  that  we  dwell  upon  the  diffi- 
culties. Good  common  sense,  industry  and  the 
grace  of  God  will  go  a  long  way  towards  over- 
coming difficulties.  Let  us  not  be  among  those 
who  say  :  "  There  is  a  lion  without  "  and  seek  to 


112  Normal  Evangelism 

justify  our  inactivity  with  that  excuse.  Has  not 
Christ  promised  :  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway  "  ? 
And  has  not  this  one  fact  alone  explained  all  the 
triumphs  of  the  Gospel  from  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost till  now  ?  The  man  who  can  say :  "  I  can 
do  all  things  in  Him  that  strengtheneth  me  " 
has  won  the  victory  already. 

Let  us  think  rather  of  the  advantages  gained 
by  pastor  and  people  in  cooperation  in  evan- 
gelistic work.  The  benefits  so  far  outweigh  the 
difficulties  that  by  thinking  of  the  former  the 
latter  sinks  into  insignificance. 

In  the  first  place,  it  gives  the  pastor  a  letter 
hold  on  hispeoj)le.  As  a  rule,  it  is  hard  to  make 
people  think  that  they  are  a  part  of  the  meeting, 
or  that  they  are  sharers  in  the  work  of  soul- 
winning  in  any  direct  sense.  You  can  tell  them 
so  but  somehow  they  do  not  seem  to  believe  it 
and  hence  do  not  act  upon  your  suggestion. 
As  a  rule  they  seem  to  feel  that  all  that  needs  to 
be  done  can  be  done  by  the  pastor  and  the  vis- 
iting preacher,  and  about  all  they  will  do  is  to 
sit  down  and  watch  the  preachers  perform.  But 
when  they  are  made  to  feel  that  they  are  a  part 
of  the  meeting,  and  by  no  means  a  small  part 
either,  that  they  and  the  pastor  are  really  co- 
workers for  the  Lord,  there  springs  up  a  new 
relationship  between  the  pastor  and  his  people. 
They  learn  to  sympathize  with  him,  pray  for 
him,  work  with  him,  listen  to  him  in  a  way  they 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     113 

never  have  before.  The  meeting  becomes  to 
them  a  time  of  crisis  in  which  something  must 
be  done  or  the  cause  of  Christ  will  suffer,  souls 
will  be  lost  and  they  themselves  become  a  re- 
proach to  the  name  of  Christ.  They  become 
anxious  as  to  their  own  relation  to  God,  as  to 
how  they  may  be  best  fitted  for  service,  and  as  to 
how  their  neighbours,  friends  and  loved  ones 
may  be  won  to  Christ.  They  are  looking  to  God 
as  the  source  of  all  blessing  and  to  their  pastor 
as  the  one  who  speaks  the  oracles  of  God.  If 
the  pastor's  leading  is  wise  and  tactful,  they  are 
inspired  with  a  new  confidence  in  him,  and  thus 
he  has  gained  a  vantage  ground  for  more  effect- 
ive work  among  them. 

The  pastor  not  only  gets  a  better  hold  on  the 
people  of  his  own  church,  but  he  has  an  oppor- 
tunity to  widen  his  influence  throughout  the 
whole  cominunity.  This  is  true,  not  only  with 
members  of  other  religious  bodies,  but  especially 
with  the  unsaved  and  non-churchgoing  people. 
It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  in  every  community 
there  are  some  unbelievers,  and  church-members, 
too,  who  rarely  attend  religious  service  except 
during  a  revival  meeting.  If  a  visiting  brother 
is  conducting  the  meeting,  as  soon  as  he  is  gone 
they  are  gone  too,  and  that  is  the  last  you  see  of 
them  until  the  next  revival,  when  the  process 
is  repeated.  But  when  the  pastor  has  led  in  the 
services  this   is   not  so  hkely  to  be  the  case. 


114  Normal  Evangelism 

When  they  have  listened  to  the  pastor  through  a 
series  of  meetings  there  is  formed  a  bond  of  in- 
terest between  him  and  them  so  that  they  are 
likely  to  continue  to  attend  the  regular  services 
and  he  has  a  chance  to  reach  and  hold  them  for 
good. 

It  is  a  saving  of  time  and  energy.  When  a 
pastor  and  a  church  are  going  to  hold  their  own 
meeting  they  know  exactly  how  to  plan  and 
what  to  plan  for.  They  can  suit  their  own  time 
and  convenience,  and  can  proceed  with  their 
preparation  in  a  more  intelligent  manner.  If 
another  brother  is  going  to  assist  them,  too  fre- 
quently they  do  not  plan  at  all,  or  if  they  do, 
they  run  the  risk  of  having  all  their  plans  over- 
turned at  his  coming,  and  all  have  to  set  them- 
selves to  work  to  adjust  themselves  to  a  condition 
wholly  different  from  that  expected. 

Then,  too,  the  visiting  preacher  must  lose  some 
valuable  time  getting  acquainted  with  people 
and  conditions  before  he  can  labour  to  advan- 
tage. He  does  not  know  how  or  where  to  strike 
and  the  result  is  that  he  aims  at  nothing,  hits 
nothing,  and  accomplishes  nothing  for  a  few  days 
at  least.  His  aimless  efforts  are  like  those  of  the 
crazy  man  who  was  found  out  in  the  woods  shoot- 
ing off  a  gun.  On  being  approached  and  asked 
why  he  was  doing  so  much  shooting  he  said : 
"  Well,  it  keeps  me  company,  it  scares  off  the 
devils,   and   then    I    might   hit   a  stray   coon." 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     115 

There  is  too  much  random  preaching  in  many  of 
our  revivals.  I  remember  while  aiding  another 
pastor  once  to  have  preached  on  decision,  urging 
with  all  the  energy  of  my  soul  the  acceptance  of 
Christ  only  to  learn  at  the  close  of  the  service 
that  there  was  not  an  unsaved  person  in  the 
house  so  far  as  was  known.  But  when  the  pastor 
is  doing  the  preaching  he  knows  conditions 
better,  can  preach  more  directly,  and  labour  more 
intelligently  than  can  an  entire  stranger. 

There  is,  also,  much  time  and   energy  lost  by 
the  people.     They  do  not  feel  the  direct  respon- 
sibility when  an  outside  minister  is  assisting  as 
when   the   pastor   is   leading.     Of  course,  they 
ought  to  feel  this   responsibihty,  but  the  fact  is 
they  do  not.     We  must  face  facts  as  they  are 
and  not  presume  that  they  are  otherwise.     Even 
the  pastor  himself  finds  it  harder  to  feel  that  keen 
interest  in  the  salvation  of  the  lost  when  he  is 
looking  to  another  man  to  be  the  prime  factor  in 
the  work.     He  finds  that  his  interest  is  stimulated 
when  he  is  looking  to  God  alone   for  direction 
and  power  and  is  relying  upon  prayers,  sympathy 
and  hearty  support  of  his  brethren.     They  are 
not  so  likely  to  waste  time  in  mere  social  inter- 
course both  at  the  house  of  worship  and  in  their 
homes  in  their  rounds  of  entertaining"  the  preach- 
ers "   as   is  so   often  the  case,  especially  in  our 
towns  and  country  churches.     That  is  all  very 
dehghtful,  but  we  must  be  on  our  guard  at  this 


ii6  Normal  Evangelism 

point  lest  the  social  absorb  and  overshadow  the 
spiritual,  and  thus  the  church  and  the  commu- 
nity be  robbed  of  the  highest  blessing.  Under 
such  circumstances  there  is  not  enough  heart- 
searching  in  prayer;  not  enough  soul-travail 
which  must  necessarily  characterize  a  real  spirit- 
ual revival.  But  when  pastor  and  people  go 
hand  in  hand  into  a  meeting  realizing  that  great 
interests  are  at  stake  they  do  not  feel  like  wasting 
time  on  non-essentials  but  get  right  down  to  busi- 
ness— the  Lord's  business — at  once. 

It  strengtJiens  the  j>astor  and  his  j^eoj>le.  Of 
course,  it  does  people  good  to  listen  to  a  series  of 
sermons  that  are  edifying  and  inspiring,  but  that 
is  not  always  the  thing  they  most  need.  Some 
people  are  all  but  preached  to  death  now.  They 
have  been  fed  until  they  are  overfed  and  still 
they  think  of  nothing  but  being  fed.  They 
have  been  absorbing  the  Gospel  like  a  sponge  for 
so  long  that  they  seem  to  think  that  the  Gospel  is 
for  nobody  else.  They  need  to  be  put  to  work 
imparting  their  blessings  to  others.  This  will 
mean  great  strength  to  them  as  individuals  and 
to  the  church.  To  know  that  God  is  using  them 
and  blessing  their  efforts  will  strengthen  their 
courage,  enlarge  their  faith,  and  increase  their 
usefulness  in  every  way,  and,  also,  inspire  them 
to  undertake  greater  things  for  God. 

Such  an  experience  is  of  unmeasured  value  to 
the  pastor.     To  observe  this  increased  interest 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     117 

on  the  part  of  his  people,  to  see  them  rallying  to 
his  support,  to  be  conscious  of  a  closer  touch 
with  them  and  with  God,  to  witness  the  trans- 
forming power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  manifested  in 
the  lives  of  the  unsaved — all  these,  in  a  pecuHar 
manner,  impart  strength  to  the  life  and  character 
of  the  pastor,  giving  him  a  feeUng  of  mastery  so 
necessary  in  leadership  which  if  possessed  in 
humility  and  exercised  in  wisdom  will,  under 
God,  mean  for  him  all  but  infinite  possibilities  in 
the  work  of  the  Master. 

It  is  easier   to   continue   evangelistic  woi'Tc. 
Every  one  knows  that  as  a  rule  there  is  a  lull  in 
the  revival  spirit  after  the  revival  season  is  over. 
One  reason  is  because  it  is  expected.     Christians 
do  not  expect  conversions  and  sinners  do  not 
expect  to  be  converted.     They  think :  the  evan- 
gelist is  gone,  the  singer  is  gone,  the  big  plat- 
form is  removed,  the  choir  is  not  one-fourth  as 
large,  the  big  crowds  have  vanished,  all  the  in- 
terest and  enthusiasm  have  died  away,  and  there 
is  nothing  left  but  just  the  pastor,  a  few  strag- 
gling members  of  the  choir,  an  irregular  congrega- 
tion—in fact  there  is   nothing  left  by  which  a 
man  could  be  converted.     He  forgets  that  re- 
hgion  is  a  spiritual  matter  without  any  depend- 
ence whatever  upon  outward  forms  and  condi- 
tions and  that  he  can  be  saved  just  as  easily  in 
the  regular  services  as  in  a  great  revival.     And 
this  is  more  likely  to  be  the  case  when  pastor 


li8  Normal  Evangelism 

and  people  have  cooperated  in  the  special  meet- 
ings. After  they  are  over  the  people  can  see 
that  it  is  the  same  preacher,  the  same  kind  of 
sermons,  the  same  choir,  the  same  congregations 
and  that  there  is  no  reason  why  there  should  not 
be  conversions  in  the  regular  services  as  in  the 
revival.  Therefore  we  may  expect  the  spirit  of 
revival  to  continue  if  the  pastor  and  people  con- 
tinue to  work  and  pray. 

The  results  a/re  more  lasting.  If  only  dur- 
ing a  protracted  meeting  we  have  joy  and  bless- 
ing we  are  of  all  men  most  miserable.  Too 
many  revivals  do  not  revive.  They  are  like  the 
bottle  of  soda-pop — effervesce  until  there  is  noth- 
ing left.  There  was  a  great  stir  and  noise,  big 
crowds,  large  calculations,  but  when  things 
cooled  down  there  was  not  very  much  left.  To 
sum  it  all  up,  the  fruits  were  not  abiding.  But  a 
revival  that  is  held  by  pastor  and  people  is  not 
likely  to  be  of  the  effervescent  sort.  It  is  true, 
they  may  not  seem  to  be  "  arousing  the  natives  " 
but  the  work  will  be  more  lasting.  The  tend- 
ency is  to  an  increase  of  the  revival  spirit  which 
shall  manifest  itself  in  every  department  of  the 
church's  life ;  a  spirit  that  shall  last  not  for  a  few 
days  only  but  that  shall  continue  on  indefinitely. 
What  we  need  in  our  churches — to  use  the 
words  of  Dr.  A.  J.  Francis — is  "  not  a  spurt  of 
evangelism  but  the  spirit  of  evangelism."  This 
spirit  of  evangehsm  can  never  be  fostered  and 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     119 

maintained  until  pastors  and  churches  join  hand 
to  hand  and  heart  to  heart  in  the  great  task  of 
saving  those  who  are  out  of  Christ. 

The  pastor  is  in  a  hetter  jposition  to  hold^  train 
and  indoctrinate  the  new  converts.  There  is  a 
closer  tie  of  affection  between  him  and  them  if 
they  confessed  Christ  under  his  ministry  di- 
rectly. There  is  much  to  be  done  after  a  meet- 
ing closes  and  if  the  pastor  has  held  the  mastery 
all  the  while  he  is  in  a  better  position  to  do  the 
work  of  training,  which  after  all  is  the  most  dif- 
ficult, with  greater  ease  and  effectiveness  than  if 
he  had  turned  the  mastery  over  to  some  one  else 
for  a  time  and  then  had  to  resume  it  under  dif- 
ficulties. 

Pastors  should  he  the  leaders  in  all  evangelis- 
tic moveTYients ;  and  why  should  they  not  be 
such  in  their  own  churches  ?  Does  the  lawyer 
accept  his  client's  case,  work  it  up  and  then  get 
another  lawyer  to  argue  it  for  him  ?  Does  the 
physician  accept  the  care  of  his  patients  and 
then  call  in  another  to  treat  them  for  him? 
True,  they  each  may  call  in  assistance  in  cases 
of  emergency  but  ordinarily  the  lawyer  and  the 
doctor  attend  to  their  own  cases  and  no  one 
thinks  it  presumption  for  them  to  do  so,  for  that 
is  their  business.  It  seems  to  me  the  same  rule 
holds  good  in  the  case  of  the  pastor.  Should  he 
accept  the  care  of  a  church  with  the  expectation 
of  calling  in  some  one  else  to  do  the  chief  part 


120  Normal  Evangelism 

of  the  work  of  saving  the  lost  when  that  is  the 
very  purpose  for  which  he  and  the  church  are 
called  of  God  to  fulfill?  And  should  it  be 
thought  presumption  on  his  part  to  attempt  to 
lead  his  people  in  an  evangelistic  effort  ?  Yet 
some  church-members  are  narrow  enough  to 
think  so  and  some  preachers  are  cowardly- 
enough  to  allow  the  faultfinding  members  of 
their  flocks  to  keep  them  from  making  an  effort 
at  pastoral  leadership  in  evangelism.  Some 
people  seem  to  have  been  born  in  the  "  objective 
case."  Some  church-members  need  a  little  more 
of  the  grace  of  God  in  their  hearts  and  some 
pastors  need  a  Httle  more  of  "  holy  boldness." 

There  are  conditions  which  make  it  iinjperor 
five  for  the  ^pastor  to  call  in  another  minister  to 
aid  in  sjpecial  meetings.  Much  might  be  said 
in  favour  of  this  method  of  evangelistic  work  if 
this  were  the  point  that  needed  emphasis.  We 
are  likely  to  do  enough  of  this  kind  of  work 
without  any  suggestions.  It  is  for  pastoral  lead- 
ership that  we  are  contending  because  that  is 
most  needed.  However,  I  never  expect  to  come 
to  the  point  in  my  ministry  where  I  shall  not 
sometimes  have  the  aid  of  a  brother  minister  in 
special  meetings.  I  also  sincerely  hope  that  I 
shall  never  come  to  the  point  of  shirking  my  duty 
by  calling  in  aid  when  it  is  not  needed.  Of 
course,  the  people  will  need  a  change  in  preachers 
and  preaching  but  it  is  not  always  wise  to  make 


Pastoral  Leadership  in  Evangelism     121 

that  change  at  the  time  of  the  revival  season.  A 
discriminating  pastor  and  an  earnest  people  can 
determine  the  wiser  course  in  this  matter  through 
prayer  and  brotherly  conferences. 

But  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  lest  sort  of 
revival  some  churches  ever  had  has  been  one  in 
which  another  minister  had  been  engaged  to  assist 
and  could  not  come ;  and  when  the  people  and 
their  pastor  have  gone  into  the  revival  with  fear 
and  trembling  only  to  find  that  God  was  just  as 
ready  to  use  them  for  His  glory  as  He  was  some 
other  man  several  hundred  miles  away.  Truly, 
have  some  of  the  best  things  in  the  world  been 
found  out  by  accident !  Therefore,  let  the  pastor 
and  his  church  first  seriously  consider  as  to 
whether  outside  aid  is  really  needed  before  they 
call  for  it. 

This  question,  however,  rarely  comes  up  for 
consideration  with  churches  and  pastors  when 
contemplating  a  series  of  revival  services,  for  the 
first  question  usually  is  :  "  Whom  shall  we  get 
to  carry  on  the  revival  for  us?"  The  idea  of 
entering  into  the  work  themselves  with  the  Lord 
to  help  them  seems  to  be  entirely  foreign  to  their 
minds.  They  pray  :  "  Lord,  send  us  the  right 
man,"  but  never :  "  Here  am  I,  send  me."  Their 
idea  is  to  have  souls  saved  and  the  interests  of 
the  kingdom  built  up,  also,  that  they  must  have 
some  one  who  knows  how  to  do  this  work  for 
them  while  they  just  come  to  the  meetings,  have 


122  Normal  Evangelism 

a  good  time  and  feel  no  care  or  responsibility 
beyond  that  of  getting  a  little  good  out  of  the 
meetings  for  themselves.  Away  with  idea  of 
doing  the  Lord's  work  by  proxy  !  Dr.  W.  J. 
Dawson  has  rightly  said  :  "  We  have  within  our 
churches  at  the  present  time,  imperfect  as  they 
are,  a  force  sufficient  for  the  Christian  conquest 
of  the  world."  It  is  this  latent  force  that  needs 
to  be  aroused  and  put  to  use.  But  before  this 
can  be  accomplished  pastors  must  be  thoroughly 
aroused.  Then  churches  will  become  aroused, 
and  the  greatest  revival  era  known  in  the  world's 
history  will  be  manifestly  present. 


VI 

The  Revival  in  Preparation 


There  are  laws  higher  than  natural  which  control  spiritual 
seasons. — H.  C.  Mabie. 

Revivals,  if  they  are  genuine,  do  not  always  come  the  moment 
you  whistle  for  them.  Try  and  whistle  for  the  wind,  and  see 
if  it  will  come.  The  great  rain  was  given  in  answer  to  Elijah's 
prayer  ;  but  not  even  the  first  time  he  prayed,  and  we  must  pray 
again,  and  again,  and  again,  and  at  last  the  cloud  will  appear, 
the  showers  out  of  the  cloud.  Wait  a  while,  work  on,  plod  on, 
plead  on,  and  in  due  time  the  blessing  will  be  given. 

— C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

The  one  essential  condition  of  every  revival  is  an  atmosphere 
which  most  powerfully  impresses  men  with  the  importance  of 
becoming  Christians,  most  powerfully  [constrains  them  to  this 
end,  and  at  the  same  time  makes  it  easier  than  it  ordinarily 
would  be  for  them  to  make  their  decision  for  God.  The  secret 
of  every  true  revival  is  the  creation  of  this  atmosphere. 

—  W.  E.  Beiderwolf. 

Doubtless  one  of  the  great  secrets  of  the  unsatisfactoriness 
and  superficiality  and  unreality  of  many  of  our  modern  so-called 
revivals,  is  that  more  dependence  is  put  upon  man's  machinery 
than  upon  God's  power,  sought  and  obtained  by  earnest,  per- 
sistent, believing  prayer.  We  live  in  a  day  characterized  by 
the  multiplication  of  man's  machinery,  and  the  diminution  of 
God's  power.  The  great  cry  of  our  day  is  work,  work,  work, 
new  organizations,  new  methods,  new  machinery ;  the  great 
need  of  our  day  is  prayer. — R.  A.  Torrey. 

The  true  revival  will  not  be  worked  up  by  machinery,  but 
simply  by  God's  people  waiting  as  the  disciples  waited  in  the  up- 
per room,  until  He  comes  and  works  His  purpose  in  their  hearts, 
so  that  men  will  confess  Christ  because  they  cannot  help  it — be- 
cause of  the  inworking  power  that  they  cannot  control. 

— Len    G.  Broughton. 


VI 

THE  REVIVAL  IN  PREPARATION 

PREPARATION  is  necessary  in  any  good 
work.  This  is  preeminently  true  in  a 
successful  revival.  The  failure  in  many  a 
revival  effort  may  be  traced  to  a  lack  of  prepara- 
tion. There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  spontaneous 
revival  if  by  that  term  we  mean  that  a  revival 
came  into  being  without  any  preparation.  Even 
where  there  may  have  been  evidences  of  such  a 
revival  there  will  be  found  a  cause;  and  it  is 
usually  due  to  the  fact  that  some  earnest  person, 
or  persons,  prayed  for  and  looked  for  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  with  power  in  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple. Always  has  the  revival  come  in  response  to 
preparation  on  the  part  of  some  one.  And  what 
better  preparation  could  be  made  than  to  pray 
for  and  expect  a  revival  ? 

Inward  Preparation 
Inward  preparation  is  the  first  step  in  the 
direction  of  a  true  revival.  Our  first  thought 
usually  is  to  do  something  in  an  external  way 
when  the  truth  is  we  must  first  he  something 
inwardly.  Our  heing  what  we  ought  to  be 
125 


126  Normal  Evangelism 

before  God  avails  far  more  than  our  doing  what 
we  can  do.  The  Psalmist  was  conscious  of  this 
great  truth  when  he  said  :  "  For  Thou  delightest 
not  in  sacrifices  ;  else  would  I  give  it :  Thou 
hast  not  pleasure  in  burnt  offering.  The  sacri- 
fices of  God  are  a  broken  spirit :  a  broken 
and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  Thou  wilt  not 
despise."  First,  let  us  be  what  God  would 
have  us  be,  then  we  shall  be  prepared  to  do 
what  God  would  have  us  do.  The  question 
is  not  so  much  :  How  shall  we  prepare  for  a 
revival  ?  as  :  How  shall  we  be  prepared  for  a 
revival  ? 

The  Necessity  of  Prayer 

The  remval  must  hegin  in  the  hearts  of  God^s 
people.  We  must,  therefore,  seek  that  inward 
preparation  which  comes  through  prayer. 

"  Prayer  is  the  Christian's  vital  breath, 
The  Christian's  native  air." 

Many  a  Christian  is  starving  and  dwarfing  the 
soul  because  of  the  lack  of  prayer.  Prayer  is 
God's  appointed  means  for  reviving  the  spirits 
of  His  people.  Our  souls  need  reviving  be- 
cause of  our  sins,  our  neglect,  our  weakness, 
our  failures,  and  our  temptations  ;  and  because 
we  need  a  fresh  supply  of  grace  that  we  may 
take  up  our  tasks  more  zealously  and  pursue 
them  more  patiently.     Therefore,   let   us   exalt 


The  Revival  in  Preparation         127 

prayer  to  its  proper  place  in  our  lives.  Let  us 
pray  much  in  secret  for  we  have  the  promise : 
"  And  thy  Father  who  seeth  in  secret  shall  rec- 
ompense thee."  Let  us  make  our  prayer-meet- 
ings what  the  name  implies  :  meetings  especially 
for  prayer.  "  For  where  two  or  three  are 
gathered  together  in  My  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them."  Let  us  pray  much  in  the  home. 
If  there  be  a  time-honoured  custom  that  needs 
reviving  in  this  day  of  business,  rush,  and  hurry 
it  is  that  of  gathering  the  members  of  the  home 
together  for  prayer.  Gather  groups  of  families 
together  in  homes  from  time  to  time  and 
hold  cottage  prayer-meetings.  Families  may  be 
reached  in  this  way  that  cannot  be  reached  in 
any  other.  "  Again  I  say  unto  you,  that  if  two 
of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  as  touching  anything 
that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  of  My  Father 
who  is  in  heaven." 

There  never  was  a  revival  without  prayer.. 
The  revival  at  Pentecost  came  in  answer  to 
prayer,  likewise,  every  other  revival  since  that 
day.  There  might  be  a  revival  without  preach- 
ing, singing,  or  advertising,  but  there  never  could 
be  a  revival  without  praying.  For  what  shall 
we  pray  ?  For  what  did  Isaiah  pray  before 
entering  upon  his  great  work  ?  for  inward  cleam^s- 
ing^  just  as  we  must.  Conscious  of  his  sin  he 
cried  unto  Jehovah :  "  Woe  is  me !  for  I 
am    undone ;    because   I  am  a  man  of  unclean 


128  Normal  Evangelism 

lips.  .  .  .  Then  flew  one  of  the  seraphim 
unto  me,  having  a  live  coal  in  his  hand,  which 
he  had  taken  with  the  tongs  from  off  the  altar : 
and  he  touched  my  mouth  with  it,  and  said,  Lo, 
this  hath  touched  thy  lips,  and  thine  iniquity  is 
taken  away,  and  thy  sin  is  forgiven."  All  this 
took  place  before  his  response  to  Jehovah's  call 
with  those  words  of  self-surrender  and  consecra- 
tion :     "  Here  am  I ;  send  me  "  (Isa.  vi.  8). 

We  7nust  jpray  for  that  inward  renewing  as 
did  the  returning  exiles  who  felt  the  need  of  a 
stronger  power  to  nerve  them  for  their  task  in 
reestablishing  themselves  in  their  land  after  many 
years  of  captivity  :  "  Wilt  Thou  not  quicken  us 
again,  that  Thy  people  may  rejoice  in  Thee  ?  " 
(Ps.  Ixxxv.  6).  From  God  proceeds  all  reviv- 
ing power.  "  Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with 
boldness  unto  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may 
receive  mercy,  and  find  grace  to  help  us  in  time 
of  need." 

We  must  2>ray  for  the  guiding  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  is  our  advocate  on  earth.  We  are 
now  living  in  that  age  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  the  great  energizing,  life-giving,  transforming 
force  in  the  world.  The  promise  of  Jesus  to  His 
disciples  for  all  time  is  :  "  But  ye  shall  receive 
power,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you  " 
(Acts  i.  8).  That  power,  without  which  all  effort 
to  spread  the  kingdom  of  God  is  in  vain,  is  given 
in  answer  to  prayer.     Says  Jesus:  "If  ye  then, 


The  Revival  in  Preparation        1 29 

being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto 
your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your 
heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them 
that  ask  Him?"  (Luke  xi.  13).  He  it  is  who 
"  when  He  is  come,  will  convince  the  world  in 
respect  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of 
judgment "  (John  xvi.  8).  He  it  is  whose  power 
wrought  upon  the  soul  is  so  marvellous,  perma- 
nent, and  effectual  that  it  is  said  to  be  a  birth. 
**  Except  one  be  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit, 
he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 
Therefore,  one  whose  power  is  so  essential  to 
progress  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom  must  be 
recognized  and  his  leading  sought  if  we  are  to  be 
successful  in  revival  work. 

A  Bible-Reading  Revival 
Have  you  ever  tried  to  hold  a  Bible-reading 
revival  f  The  result  will  reward  the  effort  many 
times  over.  If  we  want  a  Scriptural  revival  let  us 
seek  it  by  thoroughly  saturating  our  minds  with 
Scriptural  truth.  Too  many  modern  revivals  are 
almost  entirely  divorced  from  the  Scriptures  in 
spirit,  method,  and  manner  of  preaching;  the 
spirit  is  not  so  much  for  the  glory  of  God  as 
for  the  glory  of  man ;  the  method  is  so  entirely 
foreign  to  the  New  Testament  practice  and 
teaching,  the  preaching  so  evidently  lacking  in 
Biblical  knowledge,  that,  were  one  of  the  apostles 
to  wake  up  in  a  modern  revival,  going  at  full 


130  Normal  Evangelism 

blast,  without  a  program  in  his  hand,  he  would 
no  doubt  wonder  what  sort  of  a  performance 
was  going  on ;  and  were  he  told  that  it  was  a 
revival  he  would  very  likely  venture  the  remark  : 
"  We  never  saw  it  on  this  fashion." 

The  best  way  to  have  a  Scriptural  revival  is  to 
start  the^eoj)le  to  reading  the  Bible  along  some 
definite  line  a  few  weeks  beforehand.  The 
pastor  can  arrange  a  series  of  readings  along  the 
line  of  the  great  doctrines :  Sin ;  Redemption ; 
Repentance ;  Faith ;  Regeneration  ;  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  the  Church ;  the  Ordinances  ;  Prayer  j 
Soul- winning;  Missions;  the  Second  Coming. 
These  topics  with  some  Scriptural  references  may 
be  printed  on  a  card  and  distributed.  This  will 
stimulate  interest  in  a  remarkable  way  and  will 
make  ready  the  minds  of  the  people  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord  with  power. 

Another  excellent  plan  is  to  mahe  a  thorough 
study  of  sor}%e  hooh  in  the  Bible :  Nehemiah  ; 
Isaiah  ;  the  Minor  Prophets  ;  Romans  ;  Acts  ; 
Hebrews  ;  James  ;  or  one  of  the  Gospels.  If  a 
pastor  becomes  deeply  interested  in  a  study  of 
this  kind  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  interest  the 
people.  The  Bible-reading  revival  is  not  likely 
to  be  of  the  effervescent  sort  but  will  be  rational, 
substantial,  and  abiding  in  its  character  and  influ- 
ence. The  Bible-reading  church  is  the  one  that  has 
power  with  God  and  men,  as  we  read  of  the  Be- 
reans  :  "  Now  these  were  more  noble  than  those  in 


The  Revival  in  Preparation         131 

Thessalonica,  in  that  they  received  the  word  with 
all  readiness  of  mind,  examining  the  Scriptures 
daily,  whether  these  things  were  so.  Many  of 
them  therefore  believed ;  also  of  the  Greek  women 
of  honourable  estate,  and  of  men,  not  a  few." 
An  intelligent,  informed  constituency  will  mean 
a  power  for  our  churches  ;  the  lack  of  it  will 
mean  their  ruin  in  this  age  in  which  the  standard 
of  thinking  is  rising  more  rapidly  every  day. 
Our  people  must  learn  and  think  or  they  shall 
fail. 

Revival  Singing 

Singing  is  a  very  important  part  of  evangel- 
istic work.  The  work  of  preaching  and  singing 
are  supplemental  to  each  other.  The  one  is  a 
preparation  for  the  other.  An  intelligent  appre- 
ciation of  the  preaching  is  an  aid  to  the  song- 
message.  In  turn,  the  song-message  is  a  prepa- 
ration for  the  spoken  message.  By  the  singing 
of  the  Gospel  the  soul  is  put  in  tune  for  the  hear- 
ing of  it.  The  fallow  ground  of  the  barren  soul 
is  broken  up  by  the  share  of  song  and  is  thus 
made  ready  for  the  sowing  of  the  precious  gospel 
seed  which  may  spring  forth  and  bear  a  glorious 
harvest  unto  eternal  life. 

The  power  of  song  has  nowhere  been  more 
signally  demonstrated,  perhaps,  than  in  the 
Welsh  revival.  That  revival  was  distinctly  char- 
acterized by  prayer  and  song.     Nothing  reaches 


132  Normal  Evangelism 

and  stirs  the  soul  so  much  as  a  good  song  well 
sung.  Therefore,  it  is  essential  that  a  good  col- 
lection of  songs  be  secured.  There  should  be 
song-books  in  abundance.  The  songs  should  be 
learned  by  the  choir  and  congregation.  Every- 
body should  be  encouraged  to  sing.  While  it  is 
advisable  to  have  solos,  duets,  and  quartets,  after 
all,  congregational  singing  is  of  greatest  invpor- 
tance.  Therefore,  the  congregational  singing 
should  be  looked  after  with  greatest  care,  and 
every  reasonable  means  should  be  used  to  induce 
people  to  sing. 

In  the  choice  of  revival  songs  discretion  should 
be  exercised.  Some  songs  are  of  a  very  low 
order,  approaching  dangerously  near  the  "  rag- 
time "  variety.  These  should  be  rejected  at  once. 
A  good  song  is  like  a  good  coin — it  has  the  right 
ring.  Too  much  jingle  and  movement  render  a 
song  undesirable.  The  words  of  a  song  should 
be  intelligible  and  should  convey  a  Scriptural 
truth.  The  music  should  be  in  keeping  with  the 
words.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  a  theme  in  a 
melody  as  there  is  in  a  discourse  and  the  themes 
of  the  poem  and  the  melody  should  agree.  A 
song  without  sense  is  worthless. 

There  are  also  some  very  high-class  songs, 
which  are  excellent  in  their  way,  but  are  unsuited 
for  revival  services.  They  are  staid,  stately,  and 
stilted,  and  do  not  come  down  to  the  level  of  the 
people  whom  we  are  trying  to  reach.     Many  of 


The  Revival   in  Preparation         133 

our  best  singers  are  anxious  to  use  such  songs  as 
give  an  opportunity  to  display  artistic  talent; 
but  after  all,  the  highest  art  is  to  reach  the  heart, 
inspire  the  soul,  and  move  the  will  to  action. 
Much  of  the  so-called  classic  music  does  not  move 
people  to  accept  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  or  lead 
them  to  higher  conceptions  of  Christian  service. 
Let  us,  then,  choose  those  songs  which  contain 
the  heart  of  the  Gospel  and  breathe  the  spirit  of 
evangelistic  fervour. 

There  is  a  "  happy  medium  "  which  we  may 
find  in  the  selection  of  revival  songs  and  that  is  to 
choose  the  best  of  the  old  and  the  new  songs. 
Some  people  tire  of  the  old  hymns  while  others 
stand  ready  to  reject  the  new  ones.  Sing  the  old 
songs  as  though  they  were  new  and  the  new  as 
though  they  were  old.  Sing  the  new  song  over 
and  over  stanza  by  stanza  until  they  can  sing  it 
well.  People  like  to  do  the  thing  that  they  can 
do  well.  When  they  learn  to  sing  well  they 
will  enjoy  it. 

One  word  must  be  said  about  the  invitation 
hymn,  not  only  because  the  hymn  is  important, 
but  the  time  at  which  it  is  sung  is  more  impor- 
tant still.  In  the  first  place,  the  hymn  should  be 
a  real  invitation  hymn  and  a  familiar  one. 
The  effect  of  the  most  fervent  appeal  from  the 
preacher  may  be  lost  by  an  ill-timed  hymn. 
And  sometimes  the  effect  of  a  good  invitation 
hymn  is  ruined  by  the  frantic  gesticulations  and 


134  Normal  Evangelism 

the  senseless  ejaculations  of  the  preacher  who  has 
made  the  appeal,  but  who  never  knows  when  he 
has  made  it — or  rather  never  finds  a  stopping- 
place  when  making  it.  The  practice  of  clamour- 
ing away  all  during  the  invitation  hymn  is 
abominable.  Which  is  worse  :  the  unintelligible 
mutterings  of  the  priest  or  the  ravings  of  the 
*'  revivahst "  during  the  invitation  hymn  ?  To 
my  mind  the  latter  is  the  more  senseless  and  use- 
less. People  who  act  under  such  conditions 
usually  act  from  impulse  and  not  from  conviction. 
Such  "  methods  "  are  responsible  for  much  of  the 
riffraff  that  is  gathered  in  at  some  of  our  meetings. 
Some  of  our  preachers  need  to  learn  the  meaning 
of  the  Apostle's  admonition  :  "  But  let  all  things 
be  done  decently  and  in  order"  (i  Cor.  xiv.  40). 
Even  a  preacher  has  no  right  to  disturb  any 
part  of  a  religious  service.  There  is  a  law  against 
it  and  a  preacher  should  at  least  obey  the  law. 

But  what  of  the  singers  in  a  revival  ?  Are 
they  of  the  earth  earthy  ?  or  is  there  heavenly 
melody  in  their  hearts  ?  A  good  voice  is  a  good 
thing  but  it  is  not  everything.  The  life  counts 
for  more  than  the  voice.  We  would  not  think 
of  tolerating  a  preacher  in  the  pulpit  whose  life 
was  avowedly  worldly  and  sinful ;  how  about  the 
singer  in  the  choir  whose  living  is  questionable? 
The  preacher  proclaims  the  message  and  the 
singer  sings  it.  Should  there  be  agreement 
between  the  message  and  the  life  of  the  one  who 


The  Revival  in  Preparation         135 

proclaims  it?  Certainly.  Should  there  be  a 
disparity  in  the  song-message  and  the  life  of  the 
one  who  sings  it?  Assuredly  not.  It  is  a  sad 
mistake  to  ask  those  whose  creed  and  practice 
are  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  Jesus  to  sing  in  our 
churches.  For  one  to  stand  up  and  sing :  "  All 
to  Jesus  I  surrender,"  when  at  the  same  time 
every  one  in  the  congregation  knows  that  that 
person  would  not  give  up  a  single  questionable 
practice  for  the  sake  of  Christ  or  man,  is  a 
sacrilege.  The  world  looks  on  and  says: 
*'  Sham  !  "  and  it  has  a  right  to  say  it.  The  end 
of  preaching  and  singing  is  the  same ;  the  spirit 
of  Jesus,  therefore,  should  rule  the  life  of  both 
preacher  and  singer. 

TJie  singers  should  he  trained.  If  there  be  no 
leader  in  the  church  then  seek  the  aid  of  some 
one  who  can  do  this  work.  It  is  better,  however, 
to  use  the  talent  of  the  church  when  possible 
both  as  to  leader  and  singers.  It  is  repeated, 
intelligent  effort  that  develops  and  trains.  In 
the  use  of  local  talent  we  often  discover  qualities 
of  voice  and  leadership  never  dreamed  of  before. 
We  need  to  learn  self-reliance  in  its  best  sense  in 
all  our  work.  In  our  singing  let  us  remember 
that  loudness  is  not  an  essential  quality  of  good 
music ;  if  so,  then  the  calliope  would  take  pre- 
cedence over  the  best  trained  orchestra.  Har- 
mony and  purity  of  tone  are  preferable  to  volume 
of  sound. 


136  Normal  Evangelism 

In  revival  singi7ig  there  should  be  eney^gy^ 
s-pwit^  life^  and  with  it  all,  deep  earnestness ; 
the  sj)irit  of  grayer  must  pervade  everything, 
even  the  choir.  The  choir  should  be  the  last 
place  on  earth  where  it  would  be  easy  to  start  a 
giggle  or  a  titter,  yet  how  often  it  is  quite  the 
reverse.  Let  us  bear  in  mind  continually  that 
both  preaching  and  singing  have  in  view  the  one 
great  end,  namely :  to  lead  people  to  a  closer 
fellowship  with  God ;  and  to  move  the  hearts  of 
the  unsaved,  either  by  means  of  imparted  truth, 
or  through  an  awakened  conscience,  to  accept 
Jesus  Christ  as  Lord.  Therefore,  the  singers 
should  realize  the  importance  of  their  part  of  the 
service  and  should  seek  the  same  spiritual  qualifi- 
cations as  are  expected  in  the  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ.  A  good  band  of  well-trained  singers  are 
a  mighty  force  in  evangelistic  work.  May  the 
Lord  give  us  many  of  them  ! 

Personal  Visitation 
Some  time  before  the  meeting  is  to  begin  it  is 
well  to  divide  up  the  territory  in  which  the  church 
is  located  and  assign  certain  districts  to  workers. 
The  character  of  this  canvass  can  be  determined 
by  the  pastor  and  his  helpers.  In  some  instances 
an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  field  is  desired  ; 
then  a  religious  census  should  be  taken  and 
the  important  facts  recorded.  In  every  case  it  is 
imperative  that  the  names  of  persons,  or  families, 


The  Revival  in  Preparation        137 

who  have  no  church  home,  or  who  need  assistance 
in  spiritual  things,  be  given  to  the  pastor.  He 
should  always  keep  a  list  of  the  unsaved  persons 
in  the  community.  Likewise,  all  cases  of  destitu- 
tion should  be  given  to  the  pastor  or  deacons. 
In  every  city  will  be  found  those  who  are  in  need 
of  food  and  clothing  who  are  either  too  proud  or 
too  timid  to  make  their  needs  known.  And  in 
many  towns,  and  even  in  the  country,  we  may  be 
surprised  to  find  those  who  are  in  need  of  the 
bare  necessities  of  Hfe.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
local  church  to  seek  out  and  relieve  such  persons, 
or  place  them  in  charge  of  the  local  charity 
organization,  if  there  be  such.  A  campaign  of 
house  to  house  visitation  will  be  of  great  value  : 
to  the  community ;  to  the  church  as  a  whole ;  to 
the  pastor ;  and  to  the  individual  workers.  After 
the  work  is  done  it  will  be  well  to  have  a  meeting 
in  which  the  experiences  of  the  workers  are 
related.  It  will  be  inspiring  and  helpful.  Such 
meetings  always  remind  one  of  the  return  of  the 
seventy  who  "  with  joy  "  related  their  marvellous 
experiences  (Luke  x.  17). 

Advertising 
The  best  form  of  advertising  is  the  personal  in- 
vitation. There  are  other  forms,  however, 
which  may  be  used  with  good  effect.  From  the 
pulpit,  of  course,  announcements  will  be  made. 
Then    as   the  workers   go   on  their  rounds    of 


138  Normal  Evangelism 

visitation,  and  as  the  people  go  here  and  there, 
they  may  carry  with  them  an  announcement 
card  ^  this  should  be  unique  and  attractive,  bear- 
ing the  invitation  and  a  Scriptural  message.  A 
neat  sign  may  be  placed  near  the  church  en- 
trance so  as  to  catch  the  eye  of  the  passer-by. 
The  local pajpers  may  be  used  with  good  results. 
For  the  most  part,  newspaper  men  are  exceed- 
ingly kind  in  opening  their  columns  for  religious 
information.  Let  us  bear  in  mind  that  they 
are  busy  men  and  when  they  are  gracious 
enough  to  lend  us  the  use  of  their  papers  we 
should  be  appreciative  enough  to  write  out  an- 
nouncements, extracts  of  sermons,  or  whatever 
they  may  be  willing  to  publish.  Let  us  use 
every  legitimate  means  for  arousing  interest  in 
the  Lord's  work,  yet  avoiding  the  spectacular. 
We  need  not  look  askance  upon  the  world's  best 
methods  of  advertising  but  rather  appropriate 
and  use  them  to  the  very  best  advantage  in  the 
extention  of  the  Master's  kingdom  on  earth. 

Training  in  Personal  Work 
The  wisdom  of  Jesus  is  shown  in  gathering  a 
few  of  His  disciples  together  for  training  in  soul- 
winning.  He  said :  "  Come  ye  after  Me,  and  I 
will  make  you  fishers  of  men."  In  His  training 
of  these  few  disciples  He  multiplied  His  power 
many  times.  The  wise  pastor  will  gather  a  few 
earnest  souls  about  him  and  train  and  encourage 


The  Revival  in  Preparation         139 

them  in  the  service  of  winning  others  to  the 
Lord  Jesus.  It  will  be  a  blessing  to  them  and 
they  in  turn  will  become  a  blessing  to  others. 
It  will  do  the  pastor's  own  soul  good  to  engage 
in  a  work  like  this.  Our  people  need  to  learn 
the  value  of  the  personal  touch  and  along  with  it 
the  value  of  an  immortal  soul.  In  the  words  of 
Dr.  Cortland  Myers,  Christians  need  to  learn 
that :  "  This  is  the  greatest  work  in  the  world, 
because  it  has  in  it  the  greatest  love  for  human- 
ity, the  greatest  obedience  to  Christ,  the  greatest 
elevation  of  character  and  the  greatest  satisfac- 
tion of  life."  Comparatively  few  Christians  know 
how  to  open  the  Bible  and  point  out  the  way  of 
Hfe  to  an  inquiring  soul.  A  most  urgent  need 
of  to-day  is  a  band  of  well-trained  soul-winners 
in  every  church. 

Details  of  Preparation 
There  are  many  details  of  preparation  which  a 
wise  pastor  and  a  thoughtful  people  can  attend 
to  without  any  suggestion  here.  Some  of  these 
things,  though  small  in  themselves,  minister 
greatly  to  the  success  of  a  revival,  or  which,  if 
neglected,  may  cause  great  annoyance.  For  ex- 
ample, it  is  well  to  have  efficient  ushers  to  seat 
the  people  and  to  look  after  their  comfort ;  com- 
fortable pews,  good  lights,  healthful  ventilation 
are  essential  to  the  success  of  any  religious  serv- 
ice.    The  good  old  brother  who  was  holding  a 


140  Normal  Evangelism 

tent-meeting  was  not  far  wrong  when  he  up- 
braided the  brethren  for  their  neglect  in  provid- 
ing for  the  comfort  of  those  in  attendance  by- 
saying  :  "  Brethren,  we  need  more  straw.  Sin- 
ners are  going  to  hell  for  the  need  of  more 
straw ! "  Some  one  has  well  said  that  no  one 
was  ever  converted  with  cold  feet.  At  least,  it 
pays  to  look  after  the  little  things.  No  one  can 
do  so  much  to  upset  your  plans  and  to  retard 
your  efforts  as  a  careless,  indifferent  church- 
janitor,  who  is  always  out  of  place  when  you 
need  him,  or  who  is  always  doing  the  wrong 
thing  when  he  does  happen  to  be  on  hand. 
Any  one  who  wants  to  be  a  benefactor  to  his 
race  would  do  well  to  found  a  training-school  for 
church-janitors.  The  good  ones  are  few  and  far 
between.  It  is  best  to  have  some  reliable  per- 
sons to  look  after  each  of  these  matters  during 
the  revival  that  the  pastor  may  be  left  free  to 
do  his  own  special  work. 

The  suggestions  here  given  contemplate  a  re- 
vival in  which  the  pastor  is  expected  to  do  the 
preaching.  However,  the  preparation  should  be 
the  same  when  he  is  to  have  outside  assistance. 
In  this  case  the  pastor  should  consult  with  the 
brother  who  is  to  aid  him  in  order  that  special 
preparation  may  be  made  along  particular  lines 
in  harmony  with  the  ideas  of  the  brother  who  is 
to  do  the  preaching.  As  a  rule,  more  prepara- 
tion is  made  for  the  outside  brother  than  is  made 


The  Revival  in  Preparation        141 

when  the  pastor  is  to  hold  his  own  meeting. 
But  if  the  same  preparation  be  made  in  each 
case,  we  would  often  find  that  the  meeting  held 
by  the  church  and  the  pastor  would  be  more  far- 
reaching  in  its  results.  After  all  our  preparatory 
work  is  done  let  us  remember  that  the  best  ma- 
chine makes  the  least  noise.  Our  organization 
which  should  be  thorough,  must  not  be  too 
much  in  evidence  and  cannot  be  relied  on  to 
bring  a  revival  without  the  blessing  and  cooper- 
ation of  our  Father  in  heaven.  "  I  planted, 
Apollos  watered;  but  God  gave  the  increase. 
So  then  neither  is  he  that  planteth  anything, 
neither  he  that  watereth ;  but  God  that  giveth 
the  increase"  (i  Cor.  iii.  6,  7). 

The  Pastor's  Preparation 
All  that  has  been  said  pertains  largely  to  the 
pastor's  work ;  for  in  the  preparation  his  chief 
task  will  be  to  see  that  others  are  put  to  work. 
The  old  saying  is  true,  that  it  requires  more  skill 
to  put  a  dozen  people  to  work  than  it  does  to  do 
the  work  of  a  dozen  people.  There  is,  however, 
some  special  preparation  which  the  pastor  must 
make  for  himself  if  he  is  to  render  the  very  best 
service  possible. 

The  pastor  oimst"  not  neglect  to  feed  his  own 
soul.  Like  the  mother  whose  anxious  concern 
for  her  babe  may  lead  her  to  forget  to  take 
proper  nourishment  for  herself,  so  may  the  ear- 


142  Normal  Evangelism 

nest  pastor,  in  his  desire  to  minister  faithfully  to 
his  flock,  forget  to  nourish  his  own  spiritual  life. 
As  the  babe's  safety  is  largely  vouchsafed  by  the 
mother's  good  health,  so  is  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  the  church  in  a  measure  guaranteed  when  the 
pastor  is  strong  and  vigorous  in  his  spiritual  life. 
Jesus,  the  greatest  of  evangelistic  preachers, 
found  it  necessary  to  retire  for  seasons  of  medi- 
tation and  prayer.  Likewise,  have  all  other  great 
preachers  found  it  necessary  to  retire  for  seasons 
of  communion  with  the  Father  and  that  they 
might  think  upon  His  great  plans. 

The  preacher  who  would  be  a  winner  of  souls 
must  not  only  jpray  a  great  deal  but  he  must 
have  a  knowledge  of  God's  Word.  And  more 
than  this,  he  must  not  only  have  a  knowledge  of 
the  contents  of  the  Book  but  he  must  feed  his 
soul  upon  its  great  truths.  He  should  not  only 
study  it  thoroughly  and  systematically  but  devo- 
tionally  that  his  spiritual  life  may  be  nourished 
by  its  teaching.  A  dear  good  sister  once  said : 
"  I  read  so  many  chapters  a  day  in  my  regular 
course  of  reading  and  then  I  read  some  for  my- 
self." That  is  the  ideal  plan  of  Bible  study : 
to  read  for  information  and  then  to  read  for 
inspiration.  Both  are  necessary  for  the  devel- 
opment of  the  well-rounded  spiritual  Hfe. 

The  diligent  pastor  will  ever  be  on  the  alert 
to  select  suitable  themes  and  S'uhjects  and  to 
gather  material  for  a  series  of  sermons  which  he 


The  Revival  in  Preparation        143 

is  expecting  to  preach.     These  discourses  should 
cover  a  range  of  topics  including  all  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  of  the  Scriptures  and   should 
be   arranged  with   some   logical   sequence.     In 
speaking  of"  Revival  Sermons,"  Dr.  J.  A.  Broadus 
appropriately    suggests :      "  First     address    the 
church,  seeking   to  arouse  a  more  spiritual  life, 
to   recall   the   worldly   and    quicken   the  pious, 
awakening   in     all  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  of 
intense    concern    for   the   salvation  of    others ; 
then  present  for  several  meetings  the  terrors  of 
the  law,  searching  the  conscience,  arousing  con- 
cern for  sin,  the  fear  of  judgment,  and  the  con- 
sequent imperative  need  of  a  Saviour ;  then  set 
forth   the  love  and  mercy  of  God  as  displayed 
in  the  Gospel  of  His  Son,  the  certainty  and  com- 
pleteness of   the  divine  forgiveness  of  sin  upon 
repentance  and  faith  ;  and  finally  urge  immediate 
decision   and   acceptance  of  the    gospel   terms, 
with    public    confession    of    Christ.     Whatever 
order  may  be  observed,  none  of  these  topics  can 
be  safely  omitted   from  a  series  of  revival  ser- 
mons." 

The  preacher  will  find  it  greatly  to  his  advan- 
tage to  select  cmd  arrange  his  subjects  before  the 
meeting  begins  and  then  to  have  these  printed 
on  a  neat  card  with  an  invitation  on  the  reverse 
side.  In  this  way  he  can  more  easily  arrange 
his  subjects  with  logical  connection;  the  time 
and  nervous  energy  usually  spent  in  deciding  on 


144  Normal  Evangelism 

a  subject  can  be  spent  on  the  preparation  of  the 
sermon  ;  the  card  with  the  subjects  and  the  texts 
will  serve  as  an  aid  in  advertising  the  meeting 
and  as  a  guide  for  daily  Scripture  readings  dur- 
ing the  meeting.  The  objection  is  sometimes 
made  that  to  arrange  the  subjects  beforehand  is 
to  preclude  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
selecting  fitting  themes  as  occasions  may  demand. 
This  is  not  necessarily  the  case ;  the  Spirit  can 
aid  us  in  the  selection  of  these  themes  two  or 
three  weeks  previous  to  the  meeting  as  well  as  a 
few  hours  before  a  service  is  to  begin.  He  is  not 
limited  to  time  and  space  as  we  are.  If,  how- 
ever, one  finds  that  another  subject  is  more 
suitable  for  a  particular  service  it  will  be  an  easy 
matter  to  substitute.  But  if  the  series  has  been 
carefully  arranged  it  will  be  found  that  little 
change  will  be  necessary. 


VII 

The  Revival  in  Action 


A  series  of  meetings  is  a  good  thing,  because  if  a  man  is 
awakened  on  Sunday,  and  there  is  to  be  a  meeting  on  Monday, 
he  is  likely  to  come  ;  and  the  impression  is  deepened  ;  on  Tues- 
day it  grows  deeper,  and  Wednesday  and  Thursday  he  will  at- 
tend the  after-meeting.  I  think  if  that  could  be  done,  many  a 
church  would  double  its  membership  right  off. 

— D wight  L.  Moody. 

It  is  very  generally  conceded,  we  think,  that  Mr.  Moody  was 
the  prince  of  evangelists,  and  he  perhaps  made  more  of  singing 
than  any  other  man  of  his  time,  or  before  him,  and  if  any  one 
doubts  the  wisdom  of  his  course  in  this  direction,  they  have 
only  to  listen  to  the  testimony  of  men  and  women  from  every 
country  where  the  Gospel  has  been  sung,  to  be  convinced  that 
the  Gospel  when  sung  is  as  powerful  to  convert  men  and  women 
as  it  is  when  preached. — D.  B.  Towner. 

What  is  evangelistic  preaching,  or  what  does  it  mean  to  do 
the  work  of  an  evangelist  ?  It  is  not  being  able  to  tell  anec- 
dotes in  an  interesting  manner,  or  to  clothe  stories  with  beauti- 
ful language,  but  it  is  the  presenting  of  the  truth  to  men  in  such 
a  way  that  they  will  see  themselves  as  sinners,  and  then  pre- 
senting Christ  to  them  as  the  Saviour  of  sinners  in  such  a  way 
that  they  will  receive  Him  as  their  personal  Saviour,  and  thus 
be  saved. —  William  Patterson. 

Revivals  bring  undoubted  benefits.  They  revive  the  church, 
quicken  into  joyous  activity  the  dormant  powers  of  the  church, 
and  awaken  her  to  her  divinely  appointed  ministry.  The 
special  mission  of  the  church  is  to  save  souls ;  sometimes  this 
is  forgotten  and  the  members  of  the  church  act  as  if  the  mission 
of  the  church  were  to  please  and  entertain  the  world,  or  to 
purchase  a  pipe  organ,  enlarge  the  choir,  exchange  preachers, 
give  an  oyster  supper,  or  the  like.  A  series  of  gospel-meetings 
will  correct  this  erroneous  idea,  set  the  church  in  order,  awaken 
certain  members  to  a  sense  of  their  guilt  and  misery,  and  flood 
the  souls  of  devout  Christians  with  streams  of  love  and  joy. 

— John  L.  Brandt. 


VII 

THE  REVIVAL  IN  ACTION 

^  /  HE  revival  season  is  necessary.  While  we 
-*"  should  labour  for  and  expect  conversions 
continually  in  the  regular  services  of  the 
church,  yet  it  will  be  found  necessary  to  hold 
special  meetings  now  and  then.  In  this  we  must 
be  governed  by  circumstances.  We  must  not 
get  into  the  "  revival  habit,"  however,  and  think 
that  at  a  certain  time  of  the  year  we  must  have  a 
"  revival "  whether  it  be  needed  or  not.  The 
"  revival "  may  be  a  bane  or  a  blessing  :  a  bane 
if  it  be  relied  upon  as  the  only  means  of  evangel- 
ism ;  a  blessing  if  it  be  made  to  stimulate  all  the 
activities  of  the  church  and  to  increase  the  evan- 
gelistic spirit  so  that  a  revival  will  continue  after 
the  meeting  is  over.  A  revival  must  not  be 
measured  by  the  number  of  "  professions  of 
faith,"  but  by  the  amount  of  spiritual  life  gene- 
rated into  the  body  of  the  church. 

Let  us  always  study  conditions  earnestly  and 
carefully  that  we  may  ascertain,  if  possible,  whether 
a  revival  is  needed.  In  these  matters  the  people 
should  be  consulted  ;  they  have  a  right  to  a  voice 
in  such  matters,  for  they  are  the  supporters  of  the 
work.  If,  for  example,  a  pastor  could  not  con- 
147 


148  Normal  Evangelism 

vince  his  people  that  a  revival  were  needed,  it 
would  be  unwise  for  him  to  attempt  to  thrust  it 
upon  them.  If  there  is  any  work  in  which  there 
should  be  complete  harmony  it  is  the  work  of  the 
Lord  in  which  pastor  and  people  are  engaged. 
There  must  be  agreement  between  the  members 
as  well  as  between  pastor  and  members.  If  it  is 
necessary  for  a  baseball  team  to  work  in  harmony 
to  win  a  victory,  it  is  certainly  necessary  for  a 
pastor  and  people  to  work  together  if  they  are  to 
win  a  victory  over  sin  and  the  devil. 

When  it  has  once  been  decided  that  a  revival 
effort  is  essential  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
church  and  community  it  should  be  entered  into 
with  heart,  zeal,  and  a  determined  spirit  to  win 
a  victory.  Much  time  is  often  lost  because  a 
church  is  not  ready  for  a  meeting.  Therefore, 
thorough  preparation  should  be  made  and  a  suit- 
able time  selected.  Then  when  that  time  arrives 
let  other  things  be  put  aside  as  much  as  possible. 
A  certain  amount  of  earnestness  and  tensity  of 
interest  should  be  manifest  throughout  the  church. 
So  many  church-members  have  only  a  passive 
interest.  They  come  and  take  their  places  in  the 
services  but  it  is  with  a  sort  of  indifference  which 
says  :  **  Well,  I  am  here  ;  now  revive  me  if  you 
can."  They  are  ready  to  get  all  they  can  but 
ready  to  give  nothing.  They  should  take  hold 
with  heart  and  hand  and  enter  with  vim  and 
vigour  into  every  part  of  the  service. 


The  Revival  in  Action  149 

The  revival  time  should  be  one  of  great  joy  to 
pastor  and  people.  "  They  joy  before  thee  ac- 
cording to  the  joy  in  harvest."  The  revival 
should  be  a  harvest  time  indeed  in  which  many 
sheaves  of  precious  souls  are  gathered  into  the 
garner  of  the  Lord.  We  should  work  and  pray 
to  that  end,  and  when  the  victory  is  gained  that 
should  be  our  chief  cause  of  rejoicing.  What- 
ever is  done  for  God's  glory  should  bring  joy  to 
the  Christian's  heart,  even  if  it  be  to  suffer  pain 
for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  There  must  be 
something  radically  wrong  with  that  Christian 
who  cannot  enjoy  a  true  revival.  There  are, 
however,  some  revivals  which  a  true  Christian 
cannot  very  well  enjoy  because  there  is  so  much 
connected  with  them  which  is  not  Scriptural  and 
does  not  appeal  to  good  sense.  So  that  if  a 
Christian  does  not  find  any  joy  in  participating  in 
a  revival  we  may  be  sure  that  something  is  wrong 
either  with  that  Christian,  or  with  the  revival,  or 
with  both.  The  normal  Christian  and  the  normal 
revival  will  possess  affinity  for  each  other.  Let 
us  study  conditions  that  we  may  know  why  many 
Christians  are  at  variance  with  present-day  re- 
vivals. Under  normal  conditions  there  will  be 
harmony  and  agreement  between  the  Christian 
and  the  revival. 

The  revival,  however,  should  not  he  loohed 
upon  as  a  season  for  having  a  good  time  gen- 
erally.    Sometimes   the   revival   is  entered  into 


150  Normal  Evangelism 

simply  for  what  can  be  gotten  out  of  it  in  the 
way  of  entertainment,  amusement,  and  social  en- 
joyments. And  often  those  in  charge  of  the  re- 
vival are  responsible  for  such  a  condition  of 
affairs,  for  they  throw  out  the  bait  and  catch  that 
for  which  they  have  baited  their  hooks,  namely : 
the  curious,  the  morbid,  and  the  fanatical  throng ; 
and  perhaps  along  with  them  a  goodly  number 
of  sane-thinking,  pious  people  who  really  ques- 
tion the  propriety  of  the  methods  used,  but 
who  make  no  objection  for  fear  that  their  influ- 
ence in  so  doing  will  not  be  for  the  best  interests 
of  the  meeting,  or  who  do  not  wish  to  make  an 
issue  with  the  preacher  in  charge  lest  they  should 
be  called  upon  to  account  for  their  position  in 
the  matter  and  besides  run  the  risk  of  suffering  a 
painful  humiliation  by  a  scathing  denunciation 
from  the  pulpit.  Too  frequently  the  preacher  in 
charge  of  the  meeting  takes  particular  pains  to 
make  things  interesting  by  telling  many  mirth- 
provoking  jokes  and  by  performing  many  little 
'•  tricks  "  and  *•  antics  "  which  are  calculated  to 
startle  the  people  and  to  keep  them  in  the  atti- 
tude of  expectancy — always  wondering  :  "  What 
next."  The  modern  evangelist  should  not  have 
all  these  things  laid  at  his  door  either,  for  there 
are  some  pastors  who  are  about  as  sensational  as 
the  professional  evangelist  dare  be.  The  preacher, 
whether  he  be  the  pastor  of  the  church,  a  visiting 
pastor,  or  an  "  evangelist,"  can  ill  afford  to  be 


The  Revival  in  Action  151 

anything  less  than  a  Christian  gentleman  in  the 
pulpit  and  out  of  it.  Why  some  men  who  count 
themselves  gentlemen  on  other  occasions  and 
then  can  be  so  ungentlemanly  in  the  pulpit  is  a 
thing  very  difficult  to  understand,  unless  it  be 
that  they  consider  that  their  being  ministers  of 
the  Gospel  gives  them  license  to  do  some  things 
a  gentleman  cannot  do. 

The  preacher  who  conducts  a  revival  should 
also  conduct  himself  as  a  Christian  gentleman. 
He  should  always  and  everywhere  preserve  his 
dignity.  Jesus  did  so,  and,  "  It  is  enough  for 
the  disciple  that  he  be  as  his  Teacher,  and  the 
servant  as  his  Lord  "  (Matt.  x.  25).  A  preacher 
should  be  at  least  as  gentlemanly  in  the  pulpit  as 
in  the  parlour ;  yet  some  preachers  seem  to  feel 
that  they  have  a  right  to  be  as  rude  and  as  coarse 
as  a  ruffian  at  times  in  the  pulpit.  Especially 
when  one  preacher  goes  into  the  pulpit  of  another 
he  is  honour  bound  to  be  at  least  respectful  and 
respectable.  But  when  he  walks  into  the  pulpit 
with  an  air  of  superiority,  picks  up  the  old  and 
worn  pulpit  Bible,  and  flings  it  into  a  chair  be- 
hind him  with  the  remark  :  "  That  thing  looks 
like  it  had  come  out  of  Noah's  ark — you'd  better 
get  a  new  Bible,"  he  ceases  to  be  respectful ;  or 
when  he  becomes  pettish  and  impatient  because 
of  some  little  infraction  of  his  standard  of  pro- 
priety and  loses  his  temper,  ending  in  a  tirade  of 
abuse  against  the  offender,  he  ceases  to  be  re- 


152  Normal  Evangelism 

spectable ;  or  when  he  becomes  wrought  up  and 
rushes  from  one  side  of  the  platform  to  the 
other — or  from  one  end  of  the  aisle  to  the 
other — and  in  his  furor  he  tears  off  his  collar  and 
dashes  it  to  the  floor,  he  ceases  to  be  a  gentle- 
man ;  and  when  a  preacher  ceases  to  be  a  gentle- 
man it  were  time  that  he  cease  to  be  a  minister  of 
the  Gospel. 

Let  the  ^x^d^chtr  preach  the  Scriptures  and  not 
the  daily  paper.  Let  him  preach  Christ  and 
not  himself.  With  many  "revivalists  "  there  is 
too  much  of  the  big  I  and  the  little  you.  There 
are  too  many  nice  little  stories  in  which  he  has 
played  the  part  of  hero,  philosopher,  or  humourist 
just  as  the  case  has  required.  Often  by  his  atti- 
tude and  bearing,  or  by  his  gestures  and  intona- 
tions of  voice,  he  betrays  a  self-consciousness  and 
a  conceit  which  are  repulsive  to  the  average 
hearer.  Let  the  preacher  be  a  natural  man — a 
normal  preacher.  Let  him  avoid  freakishness. 
The  day  is  past  for  the  long-haired,  theatrical 
jumping-jack  to  hold  his  place  in  the  Christian 
ministry  and  retain  the  respect  of  sensible  people ; 
they  have  become  tired  of  it.  Let  there  be  no 
straining  after  effect;  in  this  there  is  an  empti- 
ness and  a  shallowness  which  are  easily  detected 
by  the  serious  thinking  person.  Freaks  and 
antics  do  not  strengthen  personality;  if  you 
want  to  possess  a  strong  personality  he  an  out 
and  out  man. 


The  Revival  in  Action  153 

Tlie  wise  and  earnest  preacher  will  not  allow 
himself  to  come  hetween  his  inessage  and  his 
hearers.  The  message  he  delivers  and  the 
Christ  he  proclaims  must  hide  the  man  or  he  has 
failed  of  the  highest  art  of  persuasion.  He  that 
loses  himself  is  the  one  who  finds  precious  souls. 
It  is  said  of  one  of  the  great  sculptors  that  he 
wore  a  candle  in  the  band  of  his  cap.  On  being 
asked  why  he  did  so  he  replied :  "  Lest  my 
shadow  fall  upon  my  work."  So  we  who  are 
engaged  in  the  high  art  of  winning  souls  to 
Christ  cannot  afford  to  let  our  shadows  fall  upon 
our  work ;  it  is  too  important  to  be  trifled  with ; 
we  must  guard  it  jealously  lest  some  should  fail  to 
gain  heaven  because  of  our  mistakes. 

The  jpreaching  that  is  to  win  men  must  appeal 
to  the  tender  standing^  reach  the  heart,  and  stir 
the  conscience.  To  do  this  the  preaching  must  he 
positive.  Away  with  your  doubts  if  you  would 
rescue  men  from  sin  and  death.  The  man  who 
believes  something  is  the  man  the  world  needs  to 
hear — he  is  the  man  the  people  will  come  to  hear. 
The  man  who  would  win  people  to  eternal  Hfe 
must  have  no  doubts.  He  must  believe  with  all 
his  heart  the  truth  of  God's  Word.  He  must 
preach  not  an  emasculated  Gospel  and  a  frag- 
mentary Bible,  but  a  whole  Gospel  and  a  whole 
Bible.  Let  him  not  trouble  himself  about  the 
higher  critics  and  infidels,  but  let  him  preach  the 
truth  in  its  purity  and  look  to  God  for  results. 


154  Normal  Evangelism 

Our  mission  is  not  to  prove  the  Bible  by  argu- 
ments but  to  declare  it  as  the  message  of  God  to 
a  lost  world.  Neither  let  us  be  so  anxious  to 
show  our  learning  and  talents  as  to  show  people 
that  they  are  sinners  and  that  Jesus  is  their 
Saviour. 

The  j^reaching  must  he  jpersonal.  It  must 
make  the  sinner  feel :  "  Thou  art  the  man." 
We  do  not  mean  that  individuals  should  be 
singled  out  and  preached  to,  but  that  there 
should  be  a  directness  in  the  message  such  as  to 
cause  the  sinner  to  realize  his  need.  Often  it  is, 
however,  that  a  knowledge  of  the  difficulties  and 
the  mental  states  of  the  unsaved  in  the  congre- 
gation will  be  of  great  assistance  in  making  the 
appeal  more  direct.  Therefore,  it  is  well  for  the 
minister  who  is  preaching  to  have  as  accurate 
knowledge  as  possible  of  the  unsaved  persons  in 
the  community.  He  may  ascertain  much  of 
this  information  from  others,  but  it  is  best  to 
secure  it  at  first  hand.  For  this  reason  the 
pastor  has  a  better  opportunity  to  reach  the 
people  under  the  influence  of  his  own  church 
than  has  any  one  else,  and  is,  therefore,  the  proper 
one  to  conduct  the  revival.  But  after  all,  let  us 
have  faith  in  the  blessed  old  Gospel.  The  Spirit 
can  carry  the  message  where  human  intelligence 
cannot  penetrate.  It  is  a  personal  Gospel  from 
beginning  to  end  and  when  it  is  preached  in 
earnestness  and  power  it  will  awaken  the  con- 


The  Revival  in  Action  155 

science  and  in  a  marvellous  way  will  bring  the 
soul  face  to  face  with  its  needs. 

Evangelistic  preaching,  whether  in  the  revival 
or  in  the  regular  service,  should  be  characterized 
"by  earnestness,  zeal,  and  energy.  This  does  not 
mean  that  the  preacher  should  be  a  ranter. 
There  is  an  extreme  either  way  :  that  of  putting 
too  much  physical  energy  into  a  sermon  and 
that  of  not  putting  enough.  The  lack  of  what 
may  be  termed  mere  physical  earnestness  has 
been  the  undoing  of  many  a  good  preacher. 
Many  a  man  has  ruined  himself  as  an  effective 
preacher  because  he  could  not,  or  would  not,  put 
life  into  his  message.  Sluggishness  in  manner 
and  drollery  in  speech  will  render  ineffective  the 
best  sermon  on  earth.  There  is  so  much  in  the 
way  a  thing  is  said.  The  preacher  may  mean 
all  he  is  saying  from  the  depths  of  his  heart  yet 
he  may  not  seem  to  mean  a  word  of  it.  That 
kind  of  a  message  will  not  arouse  and  win  men. 

The  preacher  must  not  only  be  in  earnest  but 
he  must  show  that  he  is  in  earnest  by  his  every 
word  and  action.  Let  him  train  himself  in 
vigour.  As  Dr.  J.  P.  Greene  used  to  say  to  his 
ministerial  students  when  lecturing  :  "  You  will 
have  to  halloo  a  little  once  in  a  while  to  let  the 
people  know  that  you  are  preaching."  It  does 
the  preacher  good  to  let  himself  know  that  he 
is  preaching  sometimes.  That  which  the  old- 
time  people  called   "  liberty "   will   mean  great 


156  Normal  Evangelism 

power  to  the  man  who  knows  how  to  attain  it. 
He  must  be  able  to  enter  into  his  sermon  with 
a  sort  of  self-abandon  in  which  the  preacher  is 
lost  in  his  message.  He  is  to  convict  and  to 
convince.  He  is  pleading  for  a  verdict  in  favour 
of  Jesus  and  let  him  remember  that  while  "  a 
good  speech  is  a  good  thing,  a  verdict  is  the 
thing."  Therefore,  let  him  bend  all  his  powers 
in  that  direction. 

A  great  deal  is  now  being  said  about  the  man 
and  his  onethods.  It  is  my  sincere  conviction 
that  we  need  more  man  and  less  methods.  We 
are  in  danger  of  "  going  to  seed  "  on  machinery 
and  methods.  If  Jesus  had  any  particular 
methods  for  soul-winning  I  have  been  unable  to 
discover  them.  To  my  mind  the  uniqueness 
of  Jesus'  ministry  was  in  the  absence  of  methods. 
He  performed  no  two  miracles  alike ;  He  treated 
no  two  cases  alike  ;  He  preached  no  two  sermons 
alike  ;  He  made  no  two  appeals  alike  ;  and  so  far 
as  we  are  able  to  ascertain,  no  two  persons  were 
saved  just  alike.  He  sought  an  approach  to 
each  soul  by  whatever  means  He  deemed  most 
effective.  He  met  each  individual  on  his  par- 
ticular ground  and  treated  the  case  on  its  merits. 
Jesus  was  absolutely  without  methods  in  the 
sense  that  the  term  is  now  used. 

UnscriptuTcd  methods  weaken  the  power  of 
the  Gospel.  When  a  man  preaches  the  Gospel 
and  then  begins  to  manipulate  the  congregation 


The  Revival  in  Action  157 

with  his  tricks  and  clap-trap  methods  he  im- 
plies that  the  Gospel  is  not  "  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth  "  un- 
less the  preacher's  methods  be  added  to  it.  He 
comes  to  rely  more  upon  his  methods  than  upon 
the  power  of  the  Gospel.  He  makes  the  im- 
pression that  people  cannot  be  saved  without 
his  methods.  If  any  one  objects  he  is  ready 
with  the  reply  that  people  have  been  saved 
in  great  numbers  at  other  places  where  the  iden- 
tical methods  have  been  used ;  and  he  remarks 
that  his  methods  will  do  the  work  for  them  there 
if  they  will  just  bear  with  him  long  enough. 
Then  he  makes  the  objectors  feel  very  mean 
and  contemptible  because  they  have  dared 
question  his  methods  which  have  wrought  such 
wonders. 

A  false  standard  of  evangelism  has  arisen 
which  has  a  tendency  to  retard  the  progress  of 
the  Gospel  when  preached  in  the  ordinary 
Scriptural  way.  In  some  localities  people  have 
become  so  accustomed  to  certain  methods  of 
evangelism  that  they  will  not  respond  to  the 
gospel  appeal  unless  those  methods  are  re- 
sorted to.  This,  no  doubt,  accounts  for  so  few 
conversions  at  the  regular  services  of  many  of 
our  churches.  The  unwillingness  of  the  people 
to  respond  to  the  gospel  message  unless  certain 
conditions  are  complied  with  reminds  me  of  the 
following   incident :     In   a    certain   home   in   a 


158  Normal  Evangelism 

rural  community  in  Missouri  the  baby  had  been 
taught  to  take  his  nourishment  while  some  one 
played  the  French-harp.  One  day  the  family 
went  to  town  and  while  at  one  of  the  stores 
hungry-time  came  round  but  the  little  fellow 
demurred.  No  amount  of  coaxing  could  induce 
him  to  take  his  accustomed  repast.  He  was 
making  things  rather  embarrassing  for  the 
mother,  when  the  grandmother,  who  is  always 
"  a  very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble,"  sug- 
gested the  musical  accompaniment.  The  needed 
instrument  was  secured,  the  family  all  gathered 
around  in  the  most  homelike  manner  while 
one  member  of  the  family  played  the  accustomed 
tune  with  a  foot-pat  accompaniment ;  the 
youngster  proceeded  without  any  further  objec- 
tions. 

The  reader  will  pardon  my  use  of  this  story. 
But  the  incident  is  not  without  its  lesson.  The 
baby  had  been  spoiled.  Now  what  can  be  any 
worse  than  a  spoiled  baby  unless  it  be  a  spoiled 
man  or  woman?  Men  and  women  have  been 
spoiled  by  useless  and  nonsensical  methods  in 
evangelistic  work  so  that  normal  efforts  do  not 
appeal  to  them ;  they  must  have  the  clap- trap 
accompaniment.  Modern  evangelism  needs  a 
house-cleaning  as  to  methods  before  true  evangel- 
ism will  have  its  due  weight  and  power.  Before 
we  resort  to  any  method  let  us  first  ask  :  Is  it 
Scriptural  ?     Is   it  necessary  ?     If  not  Scriptural 


The  Revival  in  Action 


159 


then  it  is  not  necessary  and  should  be  relegated 
to  the  rubbish-heap  at  once. 

People  can  he  won  to  Christ  without  so-called 
methods.  The  one  great  need  of  to-day  is  men  to 
proclaim  the  gospel  message  faithfully,  in  public 
and  in  private,  and  to  rely  upon  God  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  perform  the  work  of  regeneration.  Let 
the  preacher  who  would  win  men  to  salvation 
make  one  supreme  appeal  and  that  to  make  a 
full  surrender  to  Christ.  This  is  the  end  of  all 
evangelistic  effort;  then  why  confuse  this  with 
any  other  appeal?  Many  people  under  high- 
pressure  methods  respond  to  various  propositions 
which  they  do  not  understand.  Others  are 
tempted  to  act  on  invitations  without  any  heart 
or  conviction,  therefore,  "  whatsoever  is  not  of 
faith  is  sin."  The  crying  need  of  to-day  is  not 
a  man  with  a  method^  hut  a  man  icith  a  mes- 
sage. 

What,  then,  shall  be  our  norm  for  pursuing 
evangelistic  work  f  The  example  of  Jesus  and 
the  apostles  is  good  enough  for  us.  Let  us 
follow  the  historians'  narratives  of  their  work 
and  emulate  their  simplicity  of  style  and  direct- 
ness of  appeal.  Can  we  think  of  Jesus  as  standing 
before  a  great  multitude  and  in  magician-like 
manner  attempt  to  bring  them  under  His  sway 
by  having  them  stand,  kneel,  or  prostrate  them- 
selves according  to  His  signal  or  word  of 
command  ?     Can  we  think  of  Peter  as  standing 


i6o  Normal  Evangelism 

up  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  submitting  a  proposi- 
tion by  which  he  could  have  known  who  were 
Parthians,  Medes,  Elamites,  the  dwellers  of 
Mesopotamia,  Judea,  Cappadocia,  Pontus,  Asia, 
and  so  forth  ?  A  modern  evangelist  would  have 
had  a  great  time  that  day  making  propositions 
and  would  have  gotten  many  new  points  for  his 
next  campaign.  Can  we  think  of  Paul  standing 
on  Mars  Hill  putting  the  people  through  a  sift- 
ing process  by  which  he  could  have  found  out 
the  number  of  Stoics,  Skeptics,  Sophists,  and 
Epicureans  present?  The  modern  evangeUst 
would  not  have  missed  his  opportunity  to  find 
out  some  interesting  things  about  that  unique 
audience.  He  would  have  at  least  held  an  ex- 
perience meeting  in  which  they  would  have  been 
expected  to  express  their  opinions  of  his  sermon 
and  his  methods.  The  folks  on  Mars  Hill  came 
off  easily  with  Paul  but  they  would  not  have 
done  so  with  the  "  evangelist  "  of  to-day. 

The  fewer  and  the  shnpler  the  methods  used 
the  hetter.  A  man  is  not  saved  by  striking  an 
attitude  but  by  bowing  his  stubborn  will  in  sub- 
jection to  the  will  of  God.  Yet  there  are  some 
preachers  who  seem  to  think  that  there  is  great 
efficacy  in  having  saved  people  strike  one  attitude 
and  unsaved  people  another;  it  shows  at  least 
that  there  is  a  difference,  they  think.  But  the 
Word  of  God  will  show  them  the  difference  if  it 
be  faithfully  preached.     "  For  the  word  of  God 


The  Revival  in  Action  161 

is  living,  and  active,  and  sharper  than  any  two- 
edged  sword,  and  piercing  even  to  the  dividing 
asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  of  both  joints  and 
marrow,  and  quick  to  discern  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart.  And  there  is  no  creature 
that  is  not  made  manifest  in  His  sight "  (Heb.  iv. 
12,  13).  Yes,  my  brethren,  the  New  Testament 
way  of  doing  things  will  prove  adequate  for 
twentieth  century  evangelism.  May  God  speed 
the  day  when  we  shall  return  to  it  in  deed  and 
in  truth  !  That  day  will  have  all  but  come  when 
we  make  up  our  minds  to  cast  aside  whatever 
cannot  be  sanctioned  by  the  teaching  and  spirit 
of  the  New  Testament,  and  when  we  come  to 
rely  wholly  upon  God's  appointed  means  for 
saving  the  lost. 

A  few  practical  suggestions  will  be  sufficient 
for  the  remainder  of  this  chapter : 

I.  It  is  well  to  hegin  the  services  on  time.. 
The  services  should  begin  at  a  reasonable  hour 
when  most  of  the  people  can  be  present.  The 
order  of  service  need  not  be  the  same  all  the 
time.  Begin  with  something  other  than  a  song 
once  in  a  while.  Variety  will  add  spice  to  a  revival 
and  it  might  add  to  our  regular  services  too. 
Keep  the  different  parts  of  the  service  well  joined ; 
long  pauses  are  exasperating  to  a  waiting  congre- 
gation, besides  it  is  a  waste  of  time.  The  songs 
should  be  selected  beforehand  and  a  general  idea 
of  the  service  formed  by  the  one  who  conducts 


l62  Normal  Evangelism 

the  service.  This,  of  course,  should  be  done  by 
the  pastor  for  he  is  the  proper  one  to  conduct 
the  revival  even  if  he  has  the  assistance  of  another 
brother. 

2.  It  is  impo7'tant  that  the  services  he  closed 
on  time.  It  is  not  right  to  keep  people  at  a  serv- 
ice till  a  late  hour.  Preachers  sometimes  allow 
their  enthusiasm  to  run  beyond  their  judgment 
in  matters  of  this  kind.  We  must  guard  against 
having  "  a  zeal  not  according  to  knowledge." 
We  need  not  think  that  we  can  sin  against  these 
bodies  of  ours  without  having  to  pay  the  penalty, 
even  if  we  are  engaged  in  the  Lord's  work.  '•  I 
beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  to  present  your  bodies  a  Hving  sacrifice, 
holy,  acceptable  to  God,  which  is  your  spiritual 
(Marg.,  belonging  to  reason)  service."  We  dis- 
honour God  when  we  abuse  our  bodies  ;  this  we 
do  when  we  hold  a  service  beyond  a  reasonable 
length.  From  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half  is 
long  enough  for  any  service.  Let  us  remember 
that  many  people  have  to  work  hard  the  next 
day  and  do  not  have  time  for  a  refreshing  nap 
as  perhaps  the  preacher  finds  time  to  take.  Just 
here,  I  am  constrained  to  say  that  the  all-night 
service,  which  is  so  much  in  vogue  in  some 
quarters,  does  not  appeal  to  me  as  being  either 
Scriptural  or  sensible.  Jesus  spent  all  night  in 
prayer,  it  is  true,  but  He  did  not  ask  it  of  His 
disciples.     Paul   preached   till   a  very  late  hour 


The  Revival  in  Action  163 

one  night  but  we  must  remember  that  the  boy- 
episode  may  have  helped  to  protract  the  service. 
These  instances  cannot  be  taken  as  examples 
for  us  in  a  revival  service.  The  overwrought 
nerves  and  a  weakened  physical  organism  are 
frequent  causes  for  the  depressing  reaction  which 
follows  so  many  revivals.  Normal  evangelism 
will  correct  many  present-day  errors. 

3.  Be  instant  in  prayer.  "  Pray  without 
ceasing."  A  prayer-meeting  should  be  held 
just  before  the  evening  service.  The  room  for 
this  meeting  should  be  separate  from  the  main 
audience  room  so  that  the  service  cannot  be  dis- 
turbed by  the  arrival  of  the  main  congregation. 
If  the  church  building  has  not  a  separate  room 
one  might  be  secured  near  by.  In  some  instances 
it  will  be  found  advantageous  to  have  separate 
prayer-meetings — one  for  the  brethren  and  one 
for  the  sisters.  The  more  timid  Christians  may 
be  encouraged  to  lead  in  prayer  where  separate 
meetings  are  held.  Such  meetings  may  be  made 
a  great  power  for  good  in  a  revival.  They 
should  be  led  by  lay  members,  the  leader  being 
appointed  the  previous  evening  ;  or  what  is  better 
still,  the  leaders  may  be  appointed  beforehand 
for  the  entire  meeting.  Let  everything  that 
is  said  and  done  be  to  the  point.  Here  you  will 
have  to  guard  against  the  religious  fanatic  who 
may  destroy  the  effect  of  the  meetings.  Beware 
of  the  one  who  wants  to  talk  too  much ;  these 


164  Normal  Evangelism 

are  grayer  meetings  and  not  talking  meetings. 
This  is  no  place  for  long-winded  experiences  and 
those  who  attempt  them  should  be  silenced  on 
the  spot.  When  the  time  comes  for  the  regular 
service  let  everything  be  dropped  and  all  enter 
the  main  audience  room. 

4.  Do  personal  work.  This  requires  more 
skill  than  any  other  form  of  Christian  service. 
For  the  most  part,  it  is  not  best  to  approach 
unsaved  people  in  the  congregation,  for  exam- 
ple, when  the  invitation  is  being  given.  When 
a  request  is  made  for  Christian  people  in  general 
to  go  out  into  the  congregation  to  do  personal 
work  often  the  very  ones  who  ought  not  to  go 
are  the  ones  who  volunteer.  Many  serious- 
minded  people  have  been  repulsed  in  this  way. 
The  old-fashioned  brother  was  not  far  wrong 
when  he  said  :  "  If  they  are  converted  they  will 
come  without  so  much  prompting."  It  is  always 
best  to  speak  with  unsaved  persons  in  private, 
either  in  the  home,  before  or  after  services,  or  at 
some  time  and  place  where  you  can  talk,  read 
the  Scriptures,  and  pray  unhindered. 

5.  Avoid  excitement.  In  many  modern  re- 
vivals it  must  be  admitted  that  strong  efforts  are 
made  to  move  upon  the  emotions  of  the  people. 
Emotion  has  its  place  in  the  religious  experience, 
we  all  know ;  but  when  emotion  is  made  the 
basis  for  Christian  experience  and  service  it 
becomes  a  snare  to  the  uninstructed  and  they 


The  Revival  in  Action  165 

are  led  to  deceive  themselves.  For  one  to  act 
on  impulse  and  not  in  the  light  of  knowledge 
and  faith  is  but  to  pave  the  way  for  disappoint- 
ment and  perhaps  for  destruction.  In  a  Southern 
city  several  years  ago  a  meeting  was  held  in 
which  there  were  nearly  four  hundred  professions 
of  faith.  The  present  pastor  of  that  church 
stated  recently  that  only  three  of  that  number 
were  now  members  of  that  church.  Such  has 
been  the  sad  history  of  many  a  revival  where 
excitement  has  played  a  large  part.  We  do  not 
want  that  kind  of  a  revival  in  our  churches. 
Says  Mr.  Spurgeon :  "  Do  try,  therefore,  dear 
brethren,  to  give  your  hearers  something  beside 
a  string  of  pathetic  anecdotes  that  will  make 
them  cry.  Tell  the  people  something ;  you  are 
to  teach  them,  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  your 
hearers,  to  make  them  understand  as  far  as  you 
can  the  things  which  should  make  for  their, 
peace.  We  cannot  expect  people  to  be  saved 
by  our  sermons,  unless  we  try  really  to  instruct 
them  by  what  we  say  to  them." 

6.  Plan  to  conserve  the  results.  As  soon  as 
one  unites  with  a  church  that  person  should  be 
enlisted  in  active  service  in  some  department  of 
the  church's  work.  When  new  converts  are  not 
tied  on  to  the  church's  activities  they  soon  start 
adrift.  There  should  be  those  in  every  church 
whose  duty  it  is  to  seek  out  personally  the  new 
members  and  make  them  feel  that  they  are  not 


i66  Normal  Evangelism 

only  wanted  in  that  church  but  needed.  It  is  an 
excellent  plan  to  hold  a  reception  for  the  new 
members  soon  after  the  revival.  All  this  should 
not  be  left  to  the  pastor  for  he  has  a  multitude  of 
things  to  look  after.  He  should,  however,  see  to 
it  that  these  new  members  are  cared  for  in  their 
new  spiritual  Hfe.  They  should  be  formed  into 
a  class  for  instruction  in  doctrine  and  service. 
Or  some  service,  such  as  the  young  peoples' 
meeting  or  prayer-meeting,  should  be  set  apart 
for  a  time  for  this  kind  of  teaching  for  the  new 
converts.  We  need  to  learn  the  meaning  of  the 
remainder  of  the  Great  Commission  :  "  Teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things."  An  intelligent, 
active  church-membership  will  mean  a  power  in 
the  advancement  of  Christ's  kingdom  on  earth. 


VIII 

A  Plea  for  the  Children 


Doubtless  most,  perhaps  all,  souls,  do  at  first  repudiate  the 
principle  of  this  new  heredity;  that  is,  they  ignore  or  deny 
God's  gracious  intention  for  them ;  hence  it  is  that  men  need  to 
be  evangelized,  even  young  children  need  to  be.  They  need 
to  reverse  their  attitude  where  rebellious  self-will  has  asserted 
itself,  at  that  very  point  where  they  had  repudiated  their  birth- 
right in  Christ  and  its  claim  upon  them, — H.  C.  Mabie. 

First  of  all,  parents  are  responsible  for  the  conversion  of  the 
children.  The  first  and  greatest  responsibility  of  parents  re- 
garding their  children  is  their  salvation.  The  responsibility  to 
feed  and  clothe  and  educate  our  children  is  nothing  to  our  re- 
sponsibility to  bring  them  to  Christ  and  bring  them  up  in 
Christ,  The  parent  who  fails  to  bring  his  children  to  Christ 
has  failed  at  the  main  point  of  parental  responsibility.  Yet 
parents  are  willing  to  leave  the  conversion  of  their  children  to 
others,  to  the  minister,  to  the  Sunday-school  teacher,  or  even 
to  chance, — Hatninond  and  Torrey. 

Few  subjects  are  of  more  vital  importance  in  the  preaching 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  at  the  same  time  more  neglected, 
than  that  of  the  preacher's  relation  to  the  children  of  his  con- 
gregation. When  a  man's  best  thinking  is  put  into  such  form 
that  children  will  understand  it  and  be  interested,  he  has  the 
world  at  his  feet.  And  when  he  forgets  the  children  and 
preaches  for  the  grown-up  world  only,  he  often  misses  both. 
— Editor  Sunday- School  Times. 

Where  a  child  is  born  of  Christian  parents,  and  is  trained  in 
a  Christian  home,  the  actual  acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
Lord  by  that  child  is  likely  to  be  natural  and  simple,  without 
revulsion,  without  earth-shock,  soft  as  the  kiss  of  morning  on 
the  brow  of  Nature,  sweet  as  the  passing  of  zephyr  over  the 
field  of  flowers,  yet  there  must  be  definite  submission,  and  no 
child  because  born  of  Christian  parents,  is  therefore  a  Chris- 
tian,—  G.  Ca7npbell  Morgan. 


VIII 
A  PLEA  FOR  THE  CHILDREN 

7ESUS  had  an  interest  in  the  children. 
The  work  of  our  Lord  on  earth  would  not 
have  been  complete  had  He  overlooked 
the  little  ones.  But  He  did  not  do  this  ;  several 
times  during  His  ministry  He  took  special  notice 
of  them  and  made  them  the  special  objects  of 
His  care.  And  no  more  beautiful  picture  is 
brought  to  our  minds  in  the  gospel  narratives 
than  those  occasions  where  the  children  came 
upon  the  scene  of  His  labours.  These  were  not 
mere  incidents  in  His  Hfe,  separated  from  the 
main  issue  of  His  work.  On  the  contrary,  they 
reveal  to  us  the  great  truth  that  His  interest  in 
children  was  as  real  and  as  vital  as  was  His  in- 
terest in  the  rest  of  humanity.  His  love,  His 
sympathy,  His  atoning  work  embraced  all  man- 
kind. The  salvation  of  the  children  formed  a 
part  of  His  great  plan  ;  '<  for,"  says  He,  *'  to  such 
belongeth  the  kingdom  of  God."  The  passage 
clearly  shows  that  children  are  heirs  to  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  And  they  are  so,  not  by  the 
imposition  of  some  man-made  ceremony  about 
which  they  know  nothing,  nor  by  their  own 
natural  birth,  but  by  virtue  of  the  atoning  work 
169 


lyo  Normal  Evangelism 

of  Christ  in  which  He  made  provision  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  whole  human  race,  and  by  vir- 
tue of  the  faith  which  they  are  enabled  to  exer- 
cise towards  Him  as  Saviour. 

The  question  as  to  how  infants  are  saved  does 
not  come  within  the  range  of  this  discussion. 
The  Scriptures  have  little  to  say  on  that  subject 
anyway ;  but  what  they  do  say,  leads  us  to  con- 
clude that  no  human  soul  is  lost  merely  for  the 
sin  of  nature.  Souls  are  condemned  for  actual 
transgressions ;  so  we  are  concerned  only  with 
those  who  have  reached  the  age  of  accounta- 
bility— who  are  able  to  discern  between  right 
and  wrong,  and  who  can  appreciate  to  some  de- 
gree the  feeling  of  responsibility.  Of  course,  no 
man  knows  when  this  age  is  reached.  No  doubt 
it  comes  earlier  than  we  think  it  does.  It  varies 
with  the  individual  child  according  to  mental 
and  spiritual  capacities  and  depends  largely  upon 
religious  training.  If  the  child  has  been  brought 
up  in  a  pious  Christian  home,  and  has  had  the 
influence  of  a  good  Sunday-school,  and,  hke 
Timothy  of  old,  from  a  babe  has  known  the 
Scriptures,  he  will  be  made  wise  unto  salvation 
through  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  at  a  much 
earlier  age  than  he  would  be  without  these  ad- 
vantages. This  work  of  building  for  eternity 
begins  very  early ;  therefore,  we  should  see  to  it 
that  the  child  has  an  even  chance  in  his  race  for 
life  and  heaven,  against  sin  and  temptation. 


A  Plea  for  the  Children  171 

Children  need  a  Saviour.  One  of  the  beauties 
of  the  rehgion  of  Jesus  is  that  it  appeals  to 
old  and  young  alike.  Although  it  has  depths 
the  wisest  and  most  philosophical  mind  cannot 
penetrate,  yet  the  very  substance  of  it  can  be  ap- 
preciated by  the  child  of  a  few  years.  Those 
very  truths  which  the  great  Apostle  confesses  his 
inability  to  comprehend  were  able  to  make  the 
young  Timothy  wise  unto  salvation.  The  very 
adaptedness  of  the  gospel  message  to  all  classes 
of  individuals  is  a  miracle  within  itself.  Every 
child  experiences  a  •'  sense  of  incompleteness." 
He  intuitively  seeks  more  knowledge  and  a 
wider  experience.  The  former  he  seeks,  some- 
times at  the  chagrin  of  his  elders  who  are  not 
able  to  answer  his  questions,  and  the  latter  he 
gets,  often,  very  much  to  his  own  grief  and  dis- 
may. But  he  is  bound  to  have  both  the  knowl- 
edge and  the  experience  at  any  cost.  This  is  all 
because  he  experiences  a  lack,  a  feeling  that  he 
is  not  complete  within  himself. 

Now,  the  child  experiences  this  lack  in  things 
spiritual.  No  class  of  individuals  on  earth  is 
more  responsive  to  religious  truth  than  children, 
because  it  meets  their  need.  When  they  begin 
to  manifest  this  need  it  is  time  to  point  them  to 
the  Saviour.  Once  while  telling  a  class  of  boys, 
seven  or  eight  years  of  age,  about  the  kind  of 
heart  one  must  have  in  order  to  go  to  heaven, 
one  little  fellow  said :     "  I  wish  I  could  tear  out 


172  Normal  Evangelism 

this  old  heart  of  mine."  "  Why  so,  Freddie  ?  " 
I  asked.  **  Because,"  said  he,  "  I  can  never  go 
to  heaven  with  this  old  bad  heart."  He  felt  in 
his  soul  just  what  every  sinner  must  feel  before  he 
can  be  saved,  namely,  that  a  power  not  his  own 
must  intervene  and  make  new  the  old,  corrupt 
heart.  When  the  child  thus  comes  to  feel  his 
need,  and  is  brought  face  to  face  with  his  Lord, 
he  is  most  likely  to  accept  Him  as  Saviour.  Of 
course,  we  must  remember  that  along  with  the 
unregenerate  heart  there  is  a  stubborn  will  which 
may  not  yield  to  the  call  of  the  divine  will,  there- 
fore, let  us  pray  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  aid  in  the 
work  of  breaking  down  the  barriers  in  the  soul 
lest  the  heart  be  hardened  against  the  truth. 

Children  need  a  Saviour  from  sin.  They 
soon  become  conscious  of  the  fact  that  they  are 
sinners.  Early  in  life  they  feel  the  shame,  guilt, 
and  even  remorse  of  their  sins.  They  need  to 
be  taught,  not  only  that  there  is  a  just  God  to 
whom  they  will  be  held  accountable  for  their 
sins,  but  that  there  is,  also,  a  loving,  sympathetic 
Saviour  who  can  and  will  forgive  their  sins  if  they 
confess  them  and  turn  from  them ;  and  that  He 
will  impart  to  them  a  new  strength  within,  which 
will  enable  them  to  overcome  their  sinful  habits 
and  passions.  They  are  easily  convicted  of  their 
sins  if  the  truth  of  God's  Word  is  brought  to  their 
minds  properly.  And  if  Jesus  as  a  loving,  pow- 
erful Saviour  is  brought  to  their  hearts  and  con- 


A  Plea  for  the  Children  173 

sciences  they  may  be  led  to  accept  Him  as 
Saviour,  gladly.  First,  let  us  lead  them  to  see 
their  need ;  then  let  us  lead  them  to  the  foot  of 
the  cross  and  give  them  a  vision  of  our  crucified 
Redeemer,  through  whom  we  have  hope  of 
everlasting  Hfe. 

Children  need  a  Saviour  to  share  their  hur- 
dens  and  sorrows.  We  are  in  the  habit  of  speak- 
ing of  childhood  as  "  the  happiest  time  of  Hfe." 
This  may  be  true  in  most  instances ;  yet  there  is 
no  reason  why  we  should  not  grow  happier  with 
the  lapse  of  time.  But  children  have  many 
griefs  and  sorrows  that  are  as  real  to  them  as 
ours  are  to  us.  They  may  forget  them  sooner 
than  we  do,  but  they  are  real  while  they  last. 
They  are  often  teased,  frightened,  and  unjustly 
treated  by  companions  at  school,  or  by  older 
members  of  the  family  at  home.  They  have 
their  worries  with  their  games  and  toys ;  their 
toils  and  disappointments  at  school.  They  are 
often  the  victims  of  errors  and  superstitions 
which  greatly  mar  their  happiness.  They  en- 
dure much  physical  pain  while  running  the 
gauntlet  of  "  children's  diseases,"  through  which 
all  have  to  pass.  Is  it  not  a  blessed  privilege  to 
lead  these  dear  ones  to  cast  all  their  care  upon 
Him  who  careth  for  them  ? 

Children  need  comfort  and  sympathy  in  be- 
reavement. Often  they  are  bereft  of  father,  or 
mother,  or  even  of  both.     And  no  one  knows. 


174  Normal  Evangelism 

but  the  Saviour  above,  the  sorrow  they  endure. 
In  these  dark  hours  they  should  be  pointed  to 
One  who  can  and  does  sympathize  with  them  to 
the  very  last  degree.  A  poor  widowed  mother  fell 
sick  with  pneumonia ;  also,  several  of  the  children. 
The  children  were  taken  to  the  hospital,  and 
while  they  were  there,  the  mother  died  at  home. 
The  children  continually  expressed  anxiety  about 
the  sick  mother,  of  whose  death  they  had  not 
been  apprised.  As  one  of  the  Httle  girls  was 
taken  from  the  hospital  to  be  placed  in  an  orphans* 
home,  she  said  to  the  nurse  who  had  attended 
her,  "  I  am  so  afraid  I  shall  never  see  my  mamma 
again."  To  such  a  child  is  not  the  thought  of  a 
reunion  with  the  mother  in  heaven  a  blessed 
thought  ?  And  do  you  not  think  it  a  source  of 
comfort  to  a  child  like  that  to  know  that  there  is 
a  Father  in  heaven  who  cares  for  and  watches 
over  the  fatherless,  and  that  those  who  care  for 
them  in  their  bereavement  are  the  "  angels  of 
mercy  "  sent  to  do  the  heavenly  Father's  will  ? 
"  Surely  He  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried 
our  sorrows,"  is  a  promise  for  the  children,  as 
well  as  for  others.  The  consolation  and  the  hope 
which  the  religion  of  Jesus  holds  out  to  all,  is 
comforting  to  the  children  also.  Should  they  be 
deprived  of  such  blessed  privileges  ?  "  Blessed 
are  they  that  mourn :  for  they  shall  be  com- 
forted." 

Children  need  a  Saviour  in  the  hour  of  death. 


A  Plea  for  the  Children  175 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  majority  of  the 
human  race  die  in  childhood.  If  they  have 
reached  an  accountable  age,  most  assuredly  do 
they  need  a  Saviour.  A  little  girl,  who  had  con- 
fessed Jesus  in  a  mission  in  Louisville,  was  taken 
to  the  infirmary  for  a  severe  operation.  It  was 
found  necessary  to  perform,  not  only  one,  but 
many  operations.  Although  her  body  was  al- 
most literally  cut  to  pieces,  through  her  many 
weeks  of  suffering,  no  word  of  complaint  escaped 
her  lips.  Such  patience,  faith,  and  Christian  for- 
titude have  been  rarely  witnessed  in  the  most 
mature  Christian.  She  lived  in  the  realities  of 
the  hopes  and  the  joys  of  the  unseen  world. 
Christ  and  heaven  were  real  to  her,  because  she 
had  early  learned  to  trust  in  Him  who  had  said, 
*'  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  to  Me  :  forbid 
them  not :  for  to  such  belongeth  the  kingdom  of 
God."  Her  sweet  spirit  departed  to  God  who 
gave  it.  But,  oh,  what  a  comfort  it  was  to  her 
parents  to  know  that  she  had  died  in  the  triumphs 
of  a  Christian's  faith  ! 

And,  should  they  come  to  the  hour  of  death, 
even  before  they  have  reached  the  age  of  ac- 
countability, the  thought  of  a  Saviour  in  heaven 
is  a  great  comfort  to  them.  A  little  boy,  who 
had  attended  the  same  mission  Sunday-school, 
was  taken  very  ill  in  the  summer  of  1900. 
Previous  to  his  illness  he  had  purchased  his 
pencils,  tablets  and  books  preparatory  to  his  first 


176  Normal  Evangelism 

school.  A  few  months  before  we  carried  his 
mother  to  Cave  Hill  cemetery.  All  through  his 
illness  he  expressed  a  desire  to  see  his  mother 
who  had  gone  to  heaven.  A  few  days  before 
his  death,  he  would  frequently  Hft  his  Httle  hand 
and  wave  it  gently,  while  a  most  heavenly  smile 
would  come  over  his  face.  His  father,  who  sat 
by  his  bedside  continually,  felt  sure  that  Httle  Paul 
was  dreaming  of  mother  in  heaven.  But  little 
Paul  was  not  disappointed  in  his  plans  for  school : 
for  he  went  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  the  great  Teacher 
who  said,  "  Come  unto  Me,  all  ye  that  labour  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take 
My  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  Me ;  for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart ;  and  ye  shall  find  rest 
unto  your  souls."  Is  it  not  better  that  these  ht- 
tle ones  have  some  knowledge  of  heavenly  things, 
than  to  go  out  into  the  dark  unknown,  not  hav- 
ing learned  to  trust  in  Jesus  ? 

Children  may  hecome  Christians  very  early 
in  life.  It  is  the  most  natural  thing  for  them  to 
do.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  who  was  a  strong  believer  in 
early  conversions,  says,  "  Capacity  for  believing 
Hes  more  in  the  child  than  in  the  man.  We 
grow  less  rather  than  more  capable  of  faith; 
every  year  takes  the  unregenerate  mind  farther 
away  from  God,  and  makes  it  less  capable  of  re- 
ceiving the  things  of  God."  You  may  ask. 
What  does  the  child  know  about  the  deep  things 
of  God  ?      But  salvation  is  not  wholly  a   thing 


A  Plea  for  the  Children 


177 


of  knowledge.  If  it  depended  on  complete 
knowledge,  who  then  could  be  saved  ?  The 
child  possesses  that  which  is  of  more  value  to 
him  than  extensive  knowledge,  namely,  intuition. 
God  has  not  left  Himself  without  witness  in  each 
human  soul.  There  is  conscience,  revealing 
what  is  right  and  what  is  wrong  ;  there  is  a  well- 
grounded  belief  in  a  Supreme  Being ;  there  is  a 
longing  for  immortality.  Now  add  to  these  in- 
tuitions, which  are  always  on  the  side  of  God  and 
truth,  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  as  Saviour,  and  you 
have  a  most  powerful  basis  for  the  evangelistic 
appeal.  The  intuitions  of  the  child  are  in  the 
supremacy ;  to  beheve  is  easier  than  not  to  be- 
lieve. He  is  open-minded  and  open-hearted; 
the  doors  and  windows  of  his  soul  are  wide  open 
during  all  waking  hours,  and  he  is  "at  home" 
to  receive  whatever  or  whoever  may  wish  to 
enter.  Let  us  help  him  to  stand  guard  at  these 
various  avenues  to  the  soul  that  only  truth  and 
God  may  enter  and  abide.  The  child  possesses, 
naturally,  these  beliefs  about  duty,  God,  and 
heaven,  even  though  his  religious  training  has 
been  meagre.  I  have  never  met  but  one  infidel 
child  in  my  life,  and  that  was  a  little  boy  who 
had  been  reared  up  under  the  influence  of  an  in- 
fidel grandfather.  The  exception  only  proves 
the  rule.  When  children  are  old  enough  to  do 
wrong,  they  are  old  enough  to  do  right.  If  that 
boy,  under  the  teaching  of  error,  could  become 


178  Normal  Evangelism 

an  infidel  so  early  in  life,  does  it  not  stand  to 
reason  that  the  same  boy  under  the  teaching  of 
Christian  truth  would  have  become  a  Christian  at 
the  same  age  ?  The  intuitions  of  the  child  are 
less  likely  to  err  than  the  reasonings  of  the  adult. 
We  all  have  to  come  to  the  point  where  we  just 
beUeve,  and  that  the  child  can  do  as  well  as  we ; 
in  some  respects  better  than  we,  for  his  mind  is 
not  beclouded  by  error,  and  his  soul  is  not  en- 
trammelled  by  a  sinful  life.  Faith  will  carry  the 
soul  farther  than  reason  anyway ;  yet  Christian- 
ity is  the  most  reasonable  system  of  truth  ever 
presented  to  the  human  mind.  Then,  while  the 
child  is  in  that  susceptible  age  when  he  lives  and 
moves  in  an  atmosphere  of  faith,  let  us  help  him 
into  the  right  way  while  these  great  truths  may 
be  laid  hold  of  so  readily. 

Cliildren  enjoy  Teligion.  We  often  hear 
grown-ups  say,  "  I  don't  beheve  in  children 
becoming  Christians."  That  is  exactly  what  those 
disciples  thought  when  they  entered  their  protest 
against  the  children's  coming  to  Jesus,  by  which 
"  He  was  moved  with  indignation  "  and  rebuked 
them  for  it.  Would  you  rob  these  little  ones  of 
the  peace  and  blessedness  which  come  from 
trusting  in  the  Saviour  ?  Again,  some  will  say, 
'♦  Well,  it  is  all  right  for  them  to  believe  if  they 
want  to,  but  I  don't  believe  in  their  uniting  with 
the  church."  Perhaps  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
allow  this  to  every  child  who  expressed  a  desire 


A  Plea  for  the  Children  179 

to  do  so,  but  let  us  remember  that  no  soul  can  be 
truly  happy  in  the  service  of  Jesus,  until  that  soul 
has  yielded  itself  in  loving  obedience.  "  And 
hereby  we  know  that  we  know  Him,  if  we  keep 
His  commandments."  Christian  activity  is  a 
means  of  growth ;  therefore  let  us  be  careful  not 
to  place  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  one  of 
these  "  little  ones." 

Tlie  conversion  of  children  is  more  lihely  to  he 
real  than  that  of  men  and  loomen.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
is  given  credit  for  this  remarkable  statement : 
"  I  will  say  broadly  that  I  have  more  confidence 
in  the  spiritual  life  of  the  children  that  I  have 
received  into  this  church  than  I  have  in  the 
spiritual  condition  of  the  adults  thus  received.  I 
will  even  go  further  than  that.  I  have  usually 
found  a  clearer  knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  and  a 
warmer  love  to  Christ,  in  the  child-convert  than 
in  the  man-convert.  I  will  even  astonish  you 
still  more  by  saying  that  I  have  met  with  a 
deeper  spiritual  experience  in  children  of  ten 
and  twelve  than  I  have  in  certain  persons  of  fifty 
and  sixty."  The  man  of  experience  is  the  man 
who  has  a  right  to  speak.  Surely,  such  a  state- 
ment from  such  a  man  should  be  sufficient  to 
stop  the  mouths  of  gainsayers  as  to  child-conver- 
sions. Some  of  the  brightest  conversions  I  have 
ever  witnessed  have  been  those  of  children. 
Once,  after  a  fellow  student  had  preached  for  me 
in  a  mission,  a  beautiful  brown-eyed  girl  of  eight 


l8o  Normal  Evangelism 

or  nine  came  forward  and  gave  her  heart  to 
Jesus.  I  shall  never  forget  that  heavenly  radiance 
which  shone  out  from  her  face.  We  all  felt  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  in  the  service  that  night. 
Many  such  conversions  of  children  has  it  been 
my  pleasure  to  witness,  and  if  it  please  God,  I 
shall  hope  to  witness  yet  many  more.  "Verily 
I  say  unto  you.  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the 
kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  in 
nowise  enter  therein." 

Children  make  good  workers  for  the  Lord. 
Marion  Lawrance  has  very  truly  said,  "  It  is  a 
great  thing  to  save  a  soul  at  any  age,  but  it  is 
the  greatest  thing  to  save  a  soul  plus  a  life." 
Those  who  come  into  the  kingdom  late  in  life 
have  only  a  short  time  at  best  to  serve  the  Lord. 
But  those  who  come  to  Christ  early  in  life  have 
many  possible  years  of  service  before  them. 
Many  of  the  great  leaders  in  Christian  service 
were  converted  in  childhood.  Polycarp,  one  of 
the  apostolic  fathers,  at  nine;  Matthew  Henry, 
the  prince  of  commentators,  was  eleven ;  Jonathan 
Edwards,  the  noted  theologian,  evangelist,  and 
college  president,  at  seven  ;  Isaac  Watts,  the 
greatest  writer  of  church  hymns,  at  nine  ;  Henry 
Drummond,  the  notable  scientist-evangelist,  nine; 
Bishop  McCabe,  according  to  Mr.  Hammond, 
was  only  eight  when  he  began  the  Christian  life. 
Surely,  with  such  shining  examples  as  these,  no 
one   can  doubt  the  possibility  of  an  early  con- 


A  Plea  for  the  Children  l8l 

version  in  any  well-developed,  well-taught 
child. 

Children  can  do  a  worh  in  soul-winni/iig  which 
cannot  be  done  by  any  one  else.  A  little  girl 
became  very  much  interested  in  her  own  salva- 
tion, and  made  urgent  requests  of  her  parents  that 
she  be  allowed  to  unite  with  the  church.  They 
objected  but  she  was  persistent.  Finally,  the 
mother,  who  had  been  brought  up  a  Catholic, 
sent  for  me  to  come  and  talk  with  the  little 
daughter  whose  deep  concern  in  matters  of 
religion  the  parent  could  not  understand.  I 
opened  the  Bible  and  read  and  explained  the 
way  of  salvation  the  best  I  could.  The  mother 
sat  by  and  listened  eagerly.  I  observed  her 
interest  and  said  much  that  was  meant  for  her 
benefit,  too.  The  final  result  was  that  the 
daughter,  mother,  and  father,  the  latter  giving  up 
his  position  with  a  liquor  house  in  that  city,  all 
were  converted,  baptized,  and  received  into  the 
church  in  a  very  short  time.  This  little  girl  did 
the  work  which  no  minister  could  have  done 
alone  in  leading  her  parents  to  Christ. 

The  children  are  powerful  agents  in  leading 
their  companions  to  Christ.  It  has  been  my 
pleasure  to  see  some  splendid  work — zealous, 
prayerful,  earnest,  sane — done  by  children  in 
leading  others  into  the  right  way.  A  bright 
little  boy  of  ten  accepted  Jesus  in  one  of  my 
meetings.     He  immediately  began  to  work  upon 


i82  Normal  Evangelism 

his  companions,  some  of  whom  were  shy  and 
indifferent.  He  did  not  talk  much  but  worked. 
He  would  take  another  boy  into  the  prayer- 
service,  then  go  with  him  into  the  regular  service, 
bring  him  near  the  front,  sit  with  him,  now  and 
then  speak  a  word  for  the  Master,  and  in  every 
way  showed  a  sympathetic  interest  in  him.  As 
soon  as  one  companion  was  brought  to  a  de- 
cision, he  would  go  for  another,  and  thus  the 
work  was  kept  up  until  several  were  brought 
into  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Was  not  this  a 
glorious  work  for  one  so  young  ?  And  do  you 
not  think  that  the  work  of  this  little  boy  was 
as  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  as  that  of  the 
most  noted  evangelist  of  to-day  ?  Many  pro- 
fessed Christians  have  lived  through  many  dec- 
ades without  having  led  as  many  to  Jesus  as 
did  this  little  boy  in  a  few  short  days.  We  can 
praise  the  Lord  that  even  a  little  child  can  do 
work  that  the  angels  in  heaven  might  covet  the 
privilege  of  doing. 

Therefore,  should  we  he  onore  in  earnest  in 
leading  to  the  Lord  Jesus  the  children  who  so 
much  need  a  Saviour,  who  in  these  tender  years 
can  appreciate  a  Saviour's  love  and  trust  His 
saving  grace,  and  whose  work  may  redound  to 
His  glory  through  time  and  eternity.  If  we  love 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  lives  of  those  who  are 
lost,  then  we  must  be  more  aggressive  in  leading 
the   children   to   heed   the   command   of    God: 


A  Plea  for  the  Children  183 

*'  Remember  also  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of 
thy  youth,  before  the  evil  days  come,  and  the 
years  draw  nigh,  when  thou  shalt  say  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  them." 


IX 

The  Work  of  Winning  the  Young 


Love  is  the  hammer  that  breaks  the  heart.  Our  scholars 
are  drawn  by  the  power  of  love.  Love  will  do  what  nothing 
else  will  do.  These  boys  and  girls  want  to  know  right  away 
that  we  love  them  and  are  interested  in  them.  ...  It 
is  a  great  thing  to  save  a  soul  at  any  age,  but  it  is  the  greatest 
thing  to  save  a  soul  plus  a  life.  The  child  is  in  the  centre  of 
the  world.  That  little  child  Jesus  put  in  the  midst  has  been 
in  the  midst  ever  since,  and  the  world  revolves  around  it. 

— Marion  Lawrance. 

"We  instruct  our  children  and  seek  to  encourage  them,  but 
are  surprised  if  they  evidence  anything  like  a  religious  ex- 
perience. A  child  may  not  understand  theology,  but  it  can 
enjoy  religion.  Go  to  the  child  at  once  with  a  spiritual  ap- 
peal and  expect  the  spiritual  effect.  Do  not  talk  of  their 
need  of  experience.  Give  them  a  chance,  and  you  will  be 
surprised  to  see  the  wonderful  fruit  they  will  bear. 

— Dr.  Waikinson. 

Tell  the  young  people  that  the  time  when  character  is  fixed 
is  during  the  period  when  most  of  them  attend  the  Sunday- 
school.  Tell  them  that  ninety-two  per  cent,  of  the  Christian 
churches  in  America  were  gathered  into  its  fellowship  before 
they  were  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  the  vast  majority 
before  they  were  sixteen.  When  will  we  teachers  realize 
that  a  child  cannot  make  progress  until  it  faces  in  the  right 
direction,  and  that  the  time  when  we  turn  to  face  Godward 
is  the  greatest  hour  in  any  life  ?  The  ignorance  at  this  point 
on  the  part  of  many  parents  and  some  teachers  is  monu- 
mental. We  talk  about  religion  as  if  it  were  a  matter  of 
creed  or  law,  of  logic  and  philosophy.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
Christianity  is  wholly  embraced  in  the  words  love  and  life. 
We  make  bold  to  say  that  a  child  who  is  old  enough  to  love 
and  obey  his  parents  is  old  enough  to  love  and  obey  God. 

— Charles  L.  Goodell. 


IX 

THE  WORK  OF  WINNING  THE  YOUNG 

^  /  IIE  work  of  winning  the  children  to  Christ 
'*'  helongs  to  every  disciple  of  Jesus.  There 
are,  however,  some  special  classes  of  Chris- 
tian workers  to  whom  I  wish  to  make  direct 
appeal.  There  is  no  doubt  that  children  are 
unjustly  discriminated  against  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion ;  to  say  the  least,  they  are  neglected.  It 
is  for  this  cause  that  I  make  this  plea  in  behalf 
of  child  religion  :  that  pastors  and  people  may 
be  stimulated  and  encouraged  to  become  more 
active  in  the  work  of  leading  the  children  to 
accept  Christ  and  to  train  them  for  service  in 
His  cause.  Dr.  R.  A.  Torrey  says  of  such  a 
work :  "  No  other  form  of  Christian  effort 
brings  such  immediate,  such  large,  and  such 
lasting  results  as  work  for  the  conversion  of 
children.  It  has  many  advantages  over  other 
forms  of  work.  First  of  all,  children  are  more 
easily  led  to  Christ  than  adults.  In  the  second 
place,  they  are  more  likely  to  stay  converted 
than  those  apparently  converted  at  a  later  period 
of  life.  They  also  make  better  Christians,  as 
they  do  not  have  so  much  to  unlearn  as  those 
187 


i88  Normal  Evangelism 

who  have  grown  old  in  sin.  They  have  more 
years  of  service  before  them.  A  man  converted 
at  sixty  is  a  soul  saved  plus  ten  years  of  service ; 
a  child  converted  at  ten  is  a  soul  saved  plus  sixty 
years  of  service." 

This  is,  first  of  all,  the  iDorh  of  2^^^if'enU.  The 
child  is  building  character ;  and  the  parent  above 
all  others  ^needs  to  realize  that  this  begins  very 
early.  Alas  !  How  soon  these  little  ones  grow 
up  and  go  out  from  under  our  influence  forever ! 
What  we  do  must  be  done  quickly.  Whether 
the  boast  of  Xavier — that  if  he  be  given  a  child 
until  it  was  seven  years  of  age  it  would  be  forever 
after  a  Catholic — be  true  or  not,  it  is  a  fact  that 
early  impressions  are  never  erased.  "  Train  up  a 
child  in  the  way  in  which  he  should  go  and 
when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it."  The 
difficulty  lies  not  in  knowing  the  way  he  vv^ill  go, 
but  in  the  training  up.  It  is  this  part  of  the 
process  which  demands  our  chief  concern.  The 
mind  of  the  child  is  like  the  cylinder  of  wax, 
once  used  in  the  phonograph,  upon  which  deli- 
cate impressions  are  made.  These  impressions 
remain ;  so  that  years  afterwards  the  same  sounds 
may  be  reproduced.  So  with  the  child ;  many 
impressions  are  received,  both  good  and  bad, 
and  these  largely  determine  the  character  in  after 
hfe.     Very  truly  has  the  immortal  Milton  written  : 

*•  Childhood  shows  the  man 
As  morning  shows  the  day." 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young       189 

As  the  child  grows  older  it  is  more  clearly 
mcmifest  as  to  lohat  his  character  shall  he.  If 
his  youthful  nature  has  been  nourished  by  the 
warm  and  tender  words  of  parental  affection,  if 
he  has  breathed  the  pure  and  vitaHzing  atmos- 
phere of  a  pious  and  godly  home,  if  the  ever 
watchful  eye  of  the  parent  is  over  him  to  disci- 
pline, encourage,  instruct,  and  to  check  his  evil 
tendencies,  that  child  is  laying  a  foundation  for 
a  character  that  will  stand  in  time  and  eternity. 
The  prime  object  of  all  training  is  to  bring  the 
will  of  the  child  into  harmony  with  the  will  of 
God.  No  human  power  can  complete  such  a 
work — only  the  Holy  Spirit  can  consummate  it 
— but  the  parent  can  do  much  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion for  this  most  important  work.  "  Obedience," 
says  the  author  of  "  The  Unfolding  Life,"  "  is 
only  activity  under  law.  It  begins  with  the  sub- 
mission to  the  will  of  the  parent,  but  when  at  last 
it  has  a  response  of  the  whole  life  to  the  will  of 
God  and  rendered  of  voluntary  and  loving  choice, 
it  has  reached  its  highest  unfolding.  This  is  the 
goal  towards  which  all  nurture  of  activity  must 
be  directed,  else  no  life  is  safe  after  it  goes  out 
from  the  restraints  of  the  home."  Parent,  what 
sort  of  a  Hfe-foundation  is  your  child  laying? 
This  is  a  question  of  vital  importance.  Are  you 
indifferent  to  it  ?  If  so,  then  may  God  pity  both 
you  and  your  child  ! 

The  parent  must  help  the  child  to   lay  a  good 


igo  Normal  Evangelism 

foundation.  In  the  construction  of  a  great  build- 
ing it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  dig  deep  and  to 
clear  away  the  sand,  the  boulders,  and  the  debris^ 
before  solid  earth  or  a  ledge  of  rock  can  be 
reached  upon  which  to  lay  the  foundation.  This 
is  a  good  deal  of  trouble  and  expense,  but  it  pays. 
So  with  the  child ;  he  may  have  some  faults  to 
correct,  habits  to  break,  weaknesses  to  overcome 
— many  of  which  he  has  inherited  or  imitated 
from  the  parent — and  some  he  has  because  he  is 
human  and  belongs  to  a  race  of  sinners.  It  is  not 
sufficient  that  you  tell  him  that  his  foundation  is 
bad,  and  then  leave  him  to  mend  it  the  best  he 
can ;  he  needs  the  parents'  help.  By  loving  and 
patient  effort,  help  him  to  clear  away  the  rubbish 
that  he  may  find  a  solid  foundation  upon  which 
to  build,  and  let  us  be  sure  that  that  foundation 
be  the  solid  rock  of  Christ. 

Parents  are  anxious  that  their  children  lay 
a  good  fo%tndation  for  other  things  :  why  not  in 
matters  of  religion  f  They  are  anxious  that 
their  sons  be  trained  so  as  to  lead  a  successful 
business  or  professional  life  ;  that  their  daughters 
shall  be  educated  to  be  happy  in  the  home  life, 
or  to  pursue  some  high  vocation,  or  it  may  be 
that  they  have  social  aspirations  for  them.  But 
what  of  the  training  for  a  happy  and  useful  re- 
ligious life  ?  While  to  some  parents  this  is  a 
question  of  first  importance,  to  many  it  is  a  matter 
of  indifference.     If  it  were  a  question    of  deep 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young       191 

concern  with  them,  they  would  certainly  make  a 
more  earnest  effort  in  that  direction.  If  it  is  wise 
to  build  upon  Christ  and  His  words,  and  foolish 
not  to  do  so,  then  is  it  not  wise  for  us  to  encour- 
age our  children  to  build  upon  the  rock,  Christ  ? 
And  is  it  not  the  height  of  folly  not  to  have  them 
do  so  ?  "  For  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay 
than  that  which  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ." 
"  And  in  none  other  is  there  salvation :  for 
neither  is  there  any  other  name  under  heaven, 
that  is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must  be 
saved."  Joshua  appreciated  both  his  privilege 
and  responsibility  when  he  said  :  "  As  for  me  and 
my  house,  we  will  serve  Jehovah."  Would  that 
all  parents  thus  felt  it  their  duty — both  by  pre- 
cept and  example — to  encourage  their  house- 
holds— children,  relatives,  servants,  all  to  serve 
the  Lord  with  sincere  hearts. 

We  need  to  make  more  of  household  religion. 
A  multitude  of  services  at  the  house  of  God  can- 
not take  the  place  of  home  religion.  There  are 
many  Christian  homes  which  are  not  pious 
homes.  Christianity  and  piety  are  not  always 
synonymous.  It  may  be  traceable  in  some  in- 
stances to  the  multiplicity  of  church  services,  the 
rushing  age  in  which  we  live,  divided  families 
religiously,  and  to  worldly-mindedness — but  home 
religion  is  woefully  lacking  in  nearly  all  quarters. 
The  family  is  never  gathered  together  for  Scrip- 
ture-reading and  prayer,  the  hymns  of  grace  are 


192  Normal  Evangelism 

never  sung,  and  religious  topics  are  rarely  dis- 
cussed in  a  way  to  be  helpful  to  spiritual  growth. 
The  children  are  the  ones  who  suffer  most  by 
such  omissions.  There  are  some  professed 
Christian  parents  who  are  httle  better  than 
heathen  as  far  as  the  religious  instruction  of  their 
children  is  concerned.  The  parent  must  feel 
a  responsibility,  not  only  for  the  body,  but  for  the 
soul  as  well.  The  body  is  temporal ;  the  soul  is 
eternal ;  therefore  if  a  preference  is  to  be  shown, 
let  it  be  in  favour  of  the  soul  which  is  immortal. 
"  But  if  any  man  provideth  not  for  his  own,  and 
especially  his  own  household,  he  hath  denied  the 
faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  unbeliever."  This  ap- 
plies, not  only  to  the  man  who  neglects  to  pro- 
vide for  the  material  needs  of  his  household,  but 
for  the  spiritual  needs  as  well.  The  unbeliever 
provides  food  and  raiment  for  the  body ;  now, 
if  the  Christian,  who  has  greater  light  and  knowl- 
edge, does  no  more  than  the  unbeliever,  he  does 
even  less  ;  for  he  is  expected  to  take  thought  for 
the  needs  of  the  souls  of  his  family.  "  What  do 
ye  more  than  others  ?  " 

Parents  are  GocVs  own  appointed  teachers. 
Religious  training  cannot  be  done  by  proxy. 
God  lays  upon  every  parent  the  solemn  obliga- 
tion :  "  Bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
nition of  the  Lord."  Parents  who  neglect  the 
religious  training  of  their  children,  or  leave  it 
solely  to  some  one  else,  deny  to  themselves  the 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young       193 

greatest  privilege  this  world  offers  and  rob  their 
children  of  their  heaven-born  right.  They  may 
provide  amply  for  their  bodily  needs  ;  make  de- 
nials that  their  children  may  have  many  of  the 
luxuries  of  life ;  they  may  be  scrupulous  as  to 
their  mental  training  ;  but  if  they  fail  in  their  re- 
ligious duty  they  have  failed  in  everything.  "  For 
what  doth  it  profit  a  man,  to  gain  the  whole 
world,  and  forfeit  his  Hfe  ?  "  God  has  given  you 
these  dear  ones  for  time — and  it  may  be  for 
eternity — if  you  do  your  duty  now  ;  but  if  not,  it 
may  be  that  God  will  require  their  souls  at  your 
hands  in  the  day  of  judgment.  Many  have 
mourned  their  neglect  with  much  anguish  of 
spirit  after  it  was  too  late.  The  saddest  ex- 
periences of  my  ministerial  Hfe  have  come  when  it 
has  fallen  to  my  lot  to  try  to  comfort  those  whose 
children  had  died  without  having  made  a  personal 
choice  of  Christ.  Much  more  might  be  said  on 
this  point,  but  we  draw  the  curtain  here.  Will 
not  parents  remember :  "  Behold,  now  is  the  ac- 
ceptable time  ;  behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salva- 
tion "  ? 

This  is  the  worh  of  Sunday-school  teachers. 
It  is  often  the  case  that  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  has  a  closer  touch  with  the  religious  life 
of  the  child  than  has  the  parent.  It  is  the  natural 
thing  for  the  child  to  have  great  admiration  for, 
and  confidence  in,  the  teacher.  When  this  is  true, 
what  a  power  the  teacher  can  be  in  the  life  of  the 


194  Normal  Evangelism 

child  !  The  wise  teacher  holds  the  key  that  un- 
locks the  inner  door  of  the  soul  through  which 
God  enters  to  abide  forever.  It  was  the  faithful 
efforts  of  a  Sunday-school  teacher  that  led 
Robert  Morrison,  the  first  Protestant  missionary 
to  China,  to  accept  Christ.  That  teacher  multi- 
plied her  power  a  thousand  times  in  the  salvation 
and  training  of  that  boy.  Mr.  Wanamaker  has 
very  tersely  said  :  "  When  you  save  a  man  or  a 
woman  you  save  a  unit ;  but  when  you  save  a 
boy  or  a  girl  you  save  a  whole  multiplication 
table." 

Teachers  need  a  vision  of  the  possibilities  that 
lie  within  their  reach.  That  teacher  had  such  a 
vision  who,  when  he  came  into  the  presence  of 
the  boys  of  his  class,  would  remove  his  hat,  be- 
cause he  said  that  some  day  one  of  those  boys 
might  be  the  Prime  Minister  of  England.  There 
may  be  in  your  class  now  a  boy  who  shall  some 
day  be  the  pastor  of  the  very  church  which  he  is 
now  attending ;  or  one  who  shall  in  years  to 
come  be  the  governor  of  the  state ;  or  another 
whose  voice  shall  be  heard  in  the  halls  of  Con- 
gress. There  may  be  in  your  class  a  girl  who 
shall  be  the  messenger  of  the  glad  tidings  of  sal- 
vation in  foreign  lands  ;  or  another  who  shall  be 
an  active  Christian  worker  in  her  own  commu- 
nity which  no  doubt  in  the  eyes  of  God  is  just 
as  good  as  the  other.  Whether  these  or  not, 
you  have  within  your  reach  those  whose  lives 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young       195 

may  be  greatly  influenced  by  you.  Let  us  ever 
keep  in  mind  this  fact :  that  twenty-five  years 
hence  the  affairs  of  the  nation  will  be  largely  in 
the  hands  of  those  who  are  now  the  boys  and 
girls  of  the  Sunday-school.  This  thought  alone 
should  stir  us  to  the  most  vigorous  and  prayerful 
effort. 

The  end  and  aim  of  all  teaching  is  to  lead  tJie 
2>upils  to  a  definite^  intelligent  acceptance  of 
Jesus  as  Saviour.  You  may  inspire,  instruct, 
and  entertain  them,  but  if  your  work  stops  here 
you  have  failed  to  lead  them  to  the  highest 
possible  good.  All  teaching  should  be  of  such  a 
character  as  to  form  the  foundation  for  a  life  of 
faith  and  service  to  Christ.  "  If  nurture,"  says 
Mrs.  Lamoreaux,  "  has  cared  for  the  spiritual  life 
of  the  child,  he  will  probably  desire  during  this 
period  (nine  to  fifteen)  to  publicly  confess  his  love 
for  Jesus  Christ.  Even  if  he  has  not  been  so 
nurtured,  every  condition  in  his  life  makes  it 
easier  now  than  it  ever  will  be  to  lead  him  to 
acceptance  of  Christ."  Some  years  ago  at  a 
great  theological  seminary  in  the  South,  the 
president  took  a  census  of  the  students,  then 
numbering  nearly  three  hundred,  as  to  the 
respective  ages  at  which  they  were  converted. 
The  ages  ranged  from  eight  to  twenty-seven 
years,  the  average  being  fifteen  and  a  half 
years.  This  means  that  a  great  many  were 
converted  under  the  age  of  fifteen,  for  the  few 


196  Normal  Evangelism 

that  came  into  the  kingdom  late  in  life  brought 
up  the  average  considerably.  This  also  argues 
that  had  not  these  young  men  given  their  hearts 
to  Christ  when  they  were  boys,  they  probably 
never  would  have  become  His  ministers.  If  a 
decision  for  Christ  is  not  made  early  in  life,  the 
chances  for  doing  so  become  less  as  the  years  go 
by,  and  they  become  less  susceptible  to  good 
impressions,  and  thus  become  hardened  through 
the  deceitfulness  of  sin.  The  teacher  who  ap- 
preciates these  facts  will  be  more  prayerful  and 
painstaking  in  leading  the  pupils  to  become 
Christians  in  the  days  of  their  youth — God's  own 
appointed  time  for  giving  the  heart  to  Him. 

Let  the  teacher  he  wise  in  malcing  an  ojpjpeal 
to  those  in  his  class  to  give  themselves  to  the 
Lord.  It  is  a  great  mistake  never  to  make  an 
evangelistic  appeal.  It  is  also  a  mistake  to  make 
it  continually.  Never  to  make  an  appeal  reveals 
the  fact  that  the  teacher  is  either  too  timid,  or 
cares  too  little  about  the  salvation  of  the  pupils — 
both  of  which  is  inexcusable  and  is  likely  to 
result  in  the  loss  of  immortal  souls.  The  oft- 
repeated  appeal  which  meets  with  no  response  is 
apt  to  become  perfunctory  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher,  and  has  a  tendency  to  produce  a  harden- 
ing effect  on  those  who  hear  it.  But  if  there  be  the 
right  sort  of  teaching  and  praying,  along  with  a 
sympathetic  personal  contact,  we  need  not  be 
fearful  of  results.     It  has  been  my  observation 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young       197 

for  some  years  past  that  the  converts  from  the 
Sunday-school  were  chiefly  from  classes  whose 
teachers  were  burdened  for  the  salvation  of  their 
pupils.  If  there  be  an  incompetent,  worldly- 
minded  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  an 
indifferent  parent  at  home,  it  is  next  to  impossible 
for  a  pastor  or  any  one  else  to  lead  a  child  to  con- 
fess Christ.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  discourage  any 
faithful  teacher ;  my  only  aim  is  to  help  teachers 
to  appreciate  the  magnitude  of  their  work,  and 
to  seek  that  spiritual  equipment  that  shall  make 
them  winners  of  souls.  The  teacher  who  does 
such  a  work  will  have  abundant  joy  in  this  life, 
and  a  crown  of  rojoicing  in  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ.     "  And  he  that  is  wise  winneth  souls." 

This  is  also  the  work  of  the  superintendent. 
He  can  be  a  mighty  force  if  he  has  the  evangel- 
istic spirit ;  he  can  be  a  mighty  hindrance  if  he 
be  indifferent.  If  he  does  not  believe  in  the. 
conversion  of  children,  he  can  do  much  to  thwart 
the  plans  and  efforts  of  the  earnest  teacher  or 
pastor.  He  does  not  have  to  say  or  do  very 
much,  except  to  say  and  do  nothing  that  will 
help.  Just  indifference  alone  will  do  its  deadly 
work  in  keeping  souls  out  of  the  kingdom.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  zealous,  pious,  wide-awake 
superintendent  will  do  much  in  leading  the 
unsaved  to  Jesus.  How  easy  and  natural  it  is 
for  him  to  drive  home  a  point  in  the  lesson  that 
will  make  the   pupils   understand  more  clearly 


igS  Normal  Evangelism 

their  obligation  to  God !  How  timely  are  his 
words  immediately  before  the  pastor  is  to  make 
an  evangehstic  appeal,  in  which  he  makes  clear 
the  duty  of  each  one  present  to  hear,  believe, 
and  obey  the  words  of  God's  message  !  How  his 
face  beams  with  holy  joy  as  he  witnesses  the 
return  of  the  lost  to  the  heavenly  fold !  I  can 
truly  thank  God  for  the  faithful  superintendents 
whom  He  has  given  me  to  cooperate  in  the 
blessed  work  of  winning  the  children  to  Jesus. 

Let  the  superintendent  look  upon  his  school 
with  the  vision  of  Jesus ^  who  **  when  He  saw  the 
multitudes,  He  was  moved  with  compassion  for 
them."  As  he  looks  into  the  happy  faces  of  th(j 
children  and  young  people  before  him  it  may  be 
hard  for  him  to  realize  that  perhaps  many  of 
them  are  lost.  But  there  is  such  a  thing  as  being 
lost  even  in  a  Sunday-school.  One  Sunday 
morning  two  ladies  came  to  the  door  of  the 
church,  where  I  was  then  pastor  in  St.  Louis,  in 
great  excitement,  saying  that  a  little  child  had  been 
lost — that  they  had  searched  at  all  the  neigh- 
bours and  had  failed  to  find  it — and  wondered 
if  it  had  come  into  the  Sunday-school  with  some 
other  children.  I  bade  them  come  in  and  search 
through  the  school  to  see  whether  the  little  one 
was  there.  And  sure  enough,  up  among  the 
"  primaries  "  we  found  him  sitting  unperturbed 
and  happy.  As  the  mother  led  out  the  little 
truant,  upbraiding   him  for  his  recalcitrance,  I 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young       199 

remarked  to  her  that  if  her  son  should  ever  be 
lost  again  I  hoped  that  she  would  always  find 
him  in  a  Sunday-school.  The  incident  set  me  to 
thinking  :  that  in  all  our  Sunday-schools  there 
are  some  who  are  lost — not  in  the  sense  this  little 
one  was — but  lost  to  the  heavenly  Father  who 
longs  for  their  return  to  Him.  He  feels  an  in- 
finitely greater  concern  for  every  human  soul 
than  any  parent  can  feel  for  his  own  child.  So 
great  was  His  anxiety  for  lost  humanity  that 
He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son  to  save  them. 

A  whole  community  will  be  thrown  into  a 
panic  by  the  report  that  a  child  is  lost ;  yet  even 
Christian  people  express  little  concern  when  they 
know  that  those  out  of  Christ  are  lost.  Near  my 
boyhood  home  in  the  country,  a  boy  about  my 
own  age  wandered  away  from  home  and  could 
not  be  found.  The  news  spread  like  wild-fire ; 
searching  parties  went  out  in  all  directions ; 
every  nook  and  cranny  was  thoroughly  searched 
for  miles  around.  For  a  part  of  two  days  the 
search  was  carried  on  without  avail ;  hearts  went 
out  in  sympathy  for  the  grief-stricken  mother. 
It  was  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day ;  many 
had  begun  to  despair,  and  were  forecasting  that 
the  worst  had  happened.  About  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon  shouts  were  heard  from  one  of  the 
searching  parties.  Our  party  stood  still  breath- 
lessly listening.  In  a  short  time,  it  was  evident 
that  they  had  reached  the  home.     After  a  brief 


200  Normal  Evangelism 

silence  the  voice  of  a  woman  was  heard  ringing 
out  on  the  autumn  air.  What  could  it  mean  ? 
Had  the  unfortunate  boy  been  brought  home 
dead  or  alive?  Was  the  voice  that  of  the 
mother  in  heartrending  grief,  or  was  it  the 
sound  of  rejoicing  ?  We  hastened  to  the  home 
as  fast  as  our  horses  could  carry  us.  The  boy 
was  there,  not  dead  but  aHve,  and  the  shout  we 
had  heard  was  that  of  victory.  "  Even  so,"  says 
Jesus,  "  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  joy  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  angels  of  God  over  the  one  sinner 
that  repenteth." 

This  is  the  worh  of  the  jpastor.  The  ministry 
that  overlooks  the  children  is  lacking  in  one  of 
the  vital  elements  of  success.  The  pastor  who 
does  not  labour  for  the  salvation  of  the  children 
ignores  the  example  of  Jesus  and  disobeys  His 
last  great  command :  "  Preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature."  Some  pastors  seem  to  think  it 
beneath  their  dignity  to  include  **  these  little 
ones "  in  their  ministry.  Mr.  Spurgeon  was 
once  heard  to  say :  **  Sirs,  I  tell  you  that  in 
God's  sight  he  is  no  preacher  who  does  not  care 
for  the  children."  The  disciple  is  not  above  his 
Lord  in  any  respect,  and  if  Jesus  our  Master  and 
Lord  took  special  interest  in  the  children  we 
should  too.  Some  even  depreciate  the  conver- 
sion of  children,  so  that  when  one  comes  to 
Jesus  they  think  very  little  of  it.  Often  when 
reports  go  in  to  the  papers,  special  pride  is  taken 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young      20 1 

in  reporting,  "all  adults,"  "no  children,"  or, 
"  only  a  few  children,"  which  is  taken  to  indicate 
that  the  report  would  have  to  be  discounted  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  children  who  had 
professed  faith  in  Jesus.  Is  not  that  an  unjust 
discrimination  against  those  of  whom  Jesus  said : 
"  See  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones : 
for  I  say  unto  you,  that  in  heaven  their  angels 
do  always  behold  the  face  of  My  Father  who  is 
in  heaven  "  ? 

A  good  place  for  the  pastor  to  begin  this  im- 
portant work  is  in  the  home.  The  ministry  is 
gaining  some  ground  in  the  work  of  breaking 
down  the  wall  of  partition  between  them  and  the 
children.  Perhaps  this  is  one  way  of  accounting 
for  the  fact  that  children  are  becoming  Christians 
at  an  earlier  age  than  in  former  years.  Let  the 
pastor  be  free  and  easy  with  the  children.  They 
did  not  feel  cramped  or  embarrassed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  greatest  Preacher  that  ever  lived, 
and  why  should  they  be  so  in  our  presence  ?  If 
they  are,  then  we  may  be  sure  that  something  is 
wrong  with  us ;  therefore,  let  us  make  haste  to 
remove  that  which  may  become  a  bar  to  their 
salvation.  The  pastor  should  be  able  to  con- 
verse entertainingly  upon  every  subject  that 
touches  and  interests  the  life  of  the  child.  Let 
him  seek  to  win  their  confidence  and  love.  On 
the  street  he  should  be  able  to  recognize  them 
and  call  them  by  name,  and  now  and  then,  have 


202  Normal  Evangelism 

a  pleasant  word  with  them,  and  in  every  way 
make  them  feel  that  he  is  their  friend.  "  The 
man  who  never  tried  the  companionship  of  a  ht- 
tle  child  has  carelessly  passed  by  one  of  the  great 
pleasures  of  life,  as  one  passes  a  rare  flower  with- 
out plucking  it  or  knowing  its  value."  So  he 
who  neglects  a  ministry  to  the  children,  knows 
not  the  highest  joys  that  can  come  to  him  in 
this  present  life. 

The  Sunday-school  offers  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity for  the  pastor  and  people  to  work  to- 
gether in  winning  the  young  to  Christ.  It  is 
well,  now  and  then,  to  arrange  for  a  special 
evangelistic  service  in  connection  with  the  teach- 
ing service  Sunday  morning.  Previous  to  this 
service,  the  pastor  should  hold  a  conference 
with  the  teachers  and  officers  that  all  may  have 
a  clear  understanding  as  to  the  object  of  this 
service  and  the  methods  of  attaining  it.  Discuss 
individual  cases  and  let  special  prayers  be  of- 
fered. Immediately  before  the  service  the  teach- 
ers and  officers,  and  any  others  who  might  be 
interested,  would  do  well  to  have  a  brief  season 
of  prayer.  A  part  of  the  usual  program  can  be 
dispensed  with,  leaving  twenty  minutes  or  more 
for  the  special  service.  The  teachers  can  do 
much  towards  making  this  meeting  a  success  by 
urging  the  claims  of  Christ  upon  the  non-profess- 
ing members  of  their  classes.  Let  the  talks, 
songs,  prayers — all  be  evangelistic.     In  a  service 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young      203 

of  this  kind  there  should  be  snap,  push,  Hfe, 
variety ;  for  if  there  is  anything  that  children  dis- 
like it  is  a  religious  service  that  is  "  draggy,"  or 
"  pokey,"  or  one  that  is  too  stilted  or  formal. 
Let  the  service  be  natural,  earnest,  reverential. 
At  the  close  of  the  talk  by  the  pastor,  an  appeal 
should  be  made  for  a  definite  surrender  to  Christ. 
Some  of  the  meetings  like  this  have  been  the 
happiest  and  most  fruitful  of  my  ministry. 

"  Heaven  came  down  our  souls  to  greet, 
And  glory  crowned  the  mercy  seat." 

In  a  work  so  important  as  this  there  are  some 
cautions  to  be  taken  : 

First,  the  common  practice  of  speaking  to 
children  as  though  they  were  all  hut  little  angels 
is  a  mistake.  Those  who  speak  thus  know  that 
it  is  not  true,  and  the  children  know  it  too ;  then 
why  assume  a  false  position  ?  Is  it  not  better  to 
take  without  any  assumption  whatever  the  plain 
teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  "  All  have  sinned  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God "  ?  What  is 
needed  on  the  part  of  the  child  is  conviction,  faith, 
decision,  obedience,  and  nothing  but  the  truth 
will  produce  them.  If  children  are  made  to 
imagine  that  they  are  little  angels,  then  they 
cannot  be  made  to  see  their  need  of  a  Saviour ; 
for  Jesus  is  a  Saviour  from  sin,  or  He  is  nothing 
at  all.  "And  thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus; 
for  it  is  He  that  shall  save  the  people  from  their 


204  Normal  Evangelism 

sins."  He  is  not  a  mere  hero  to  be  worshipped 
and  admired ;  not  a  mere  teacher,  excelling  all 
others  in  the  wisdom  of  His  words  and  in  the 
purity  of  His  doctrines;  not  a  mere  wonder- 
worker, eliciting  applause  from  a  curious  throng  ; 
but  He  is  the  Redeemer  and  Saviour  of  all  man- 
kind, because  He  gave  His  "  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  When  children  are  led  to  the  foot  of 
the  cross,  and  given  a  vision  of  the  suffering 
Saviour,  and,  under  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
are  made  to  feel  their  need  of  Him,  it  is  then 
that  they  are  most  likely  to  give  their  hearts  to 
Him. 

We  must  guard  3ig2imst  playing  upo7i  the  emo- 
tions of  the  child.  It  is  easy  enough  to  move 
them  to  tears  and  even  to  public  confession  by  a 
few  pathetic  stories  ;  but  a  child  has  not  been 
benefited  by  such  action,  if  it  be  not  inteUigent. 
The  history  of  the  revivals  of  the  past  shows  that 
emotionalism  and  physical  demonstrations  are 
not  healthy  reHgious  signs.  This  wise  word  of 
warning  is  given  in  "  The  Unfolding  Life " : 
"  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  overstimulate  feel- 
ing, as  an  excess  beyond  that  which  is  expended 
in  action  has  an  after  weakening  and  reactionary 
effect.  This  has  its  illustration  in  certain  kinds 
of  evangelistic  work  with  the  children,  where  the 
results  are  measured  by  the  hysterical  condition 
when  the  meeting  concludes."  Many  persons, 
young  and  old,  have  been  led  to  act  on  impulse, 


Work  of  Winning  the  Young      205 

rather  than  on  intelligent  faith  and  conviction 
and  have  afterwards  come  to  doubt  the  genuine- 
ness of  their  conversion. 

Children  are  prone  to  ''follow  the  crowdP 
Because  of  this  fact  and  for  other  reasons,  it  is 
usually  best  not  to  have  the  "  primaries  "  present 
at  services  of  this  kind.  We  as  pastors  must  en- 
deavour to  control  conditions  in  such  a  way  that 
it  will  not  be  too  easy  for  those  who  are  not  in 
earnest  or  not  sufficiently  instructed  to  come  into 
the  church.  On  the  other  hand  we  must  exercise 
great  care  not  to  offend  one  of  these  little  ones 
who  would  follow  the  Lord  Jesus.  If  they 
evince  a  Christian's  faith  and  a  Christian's  obedi- 
ence then  they  ought  to  have  a  Christian's  privi- 
lege. It  is  well,  however,  to  have  a  heart  to 
heart  talk  with  the  parent  or  guardian  before  the 
child  is  received  for  church-membership.  It 
often  saves  embarrassment,  and  also  affords 
another  means  of  doing  personal  work.  A  wise 
pastor  and  a  good  corps  of  personal  workers  can 
do  much  to  prevent  mistakes  in  these  matters. 

Last  of  all,  children  need  to  he  encouraged.  A 
more  serious  blunder  cannot  be  made  than 
to  hinder  a  child  in  his  efforts  to  lead  a  Christian 
life.  Jesus  has  warned  us  of  the  awful  conse- 
quences to  those  who  cause  one  of  those  little 
ones  who  believe  in  Him  to  stumble.  Sometimes 
they  are  hindered  by  a  lack  of  encouragement ; 
again,  by  an  unsympathetic  bearing  towards  the 


2o6  Normal  Evangelism 

child  when  interested ;  or,  by  a  reproachful 
word  at  the  time  when  interest  is  evidenced ; 
sometimes  by  unreasonable  demands  :  that  the 
child  must  hve  a  perfect  life,  that  he  shall  know 
that  he  is  going  to  "  hold  out  faithful,"  that  he 
must  give  up  all  his  childish  pleasures,  that  he 
shall  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  "  plan 
of  salvation,"  and  that  he  must  be  able  to '« relate 
his  Christian  experience  "  in  a  manner  that  would 
do  credit  to  pious  Brother  B.  who  had  been  "  relat- 
ing "  his  for  the  past  forty  years.  Such  demands, 
from  those  who  have  no  right  to  make  them,  have 
a  tendency  to  discourage  the  child  and  make  him 
feel  that  the  Christian  hfe  is  an  impossible  thing 
for  him.  Let  us  rather  instruct  and  encourage 
them,  remembering  the  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
when  He  said  :  "  Whoso  shall  receive  one  such 
little  child  in  My  name  receiveth  Me." 


X 

Wisdom  in  Soul- Winning 


There  are  men  who  have  remarkable  powers  of  persuasion 
at  an  election,  who  yet  say  they  cannot  urge  men  to  decision 
for  Christ.  If  you  have  influenced  a  man  to  vote  as  he  ought 
to  vote  for  the  good  of  his  country,  you  should  be  able  to  win  a 
man  for  Christ. — G.  Campbell  Morgan. 

It  is  not  the  first  business  of  the  Christian  teacher  to  furnish 
men  with  a  creedal  religion  ready-made, — but  rather  to  put  and 
keep  men  on  the  clue,  as  we  have  called  it,  wherein  under  the 
tuition  of  the  Spirit  they  themselves  will  discover  the  truth  they 
need. — Henry  C.  Mabie. 

Equipment  for  soul-winning  is  by  way  of  spiritual  power 
rather  than  by  studied  process.  Your  words  will  never  win 
unless  your  life  is  winsome.  A  wrong  life  will  never  win  to  a 
right  life.  The  chief  equipment  of  the  soul-winner  is  not  a 
string  of  Bible  verses,  but  a  Christlike  life.  It  is  the  man  or 
woman  back  of  the  words  that  gives  them  force. 

— Henry  A  If  or  d  Porter. 

We  must  learn  from  Him  the  priceless  worth  of  a  single 
human  life.  We  must  see  in  ourselves,  and  in  others,  the 
image  of  God,  despoiled  and  defaced,  but  still  enough  to  show 
that  we  are  born  for  the  love  of  God.  We  must  see  the  sacred- 
ness  of  the  soul,  and  in  every  conflict  take  the  side  of  the  soul 
against  sense.  We  must  serve  our  generation  by  the  will  of 
God.  We  must  bend  to  the  yoke  of  Christ.  We  must  be  rich 
towards  God  at  all  costs,  whatever  else.  We  must  see  the 
spiritual  Rvalue  of  life,  and  in  all  decisions  choose  the  better 
part.  We  must  have  our  lives  inspired  by  the  gracious  pity 
and  the  tender  love  of  our  Master High  Black. 


X 


WISDOM  IN  SOUL- WINNING 

"  Come  ye  after  Me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers 
of  men." — Mark  i,  77. 

IF  we  would  be  wise  in  the  work  of  winning 
others  to  Christ,  we  must  ajpjpreciate  the 
value  of  human  souls.  Such  a  value  can- 
not be  measured  by  human  standards.  In  this 
great  commercial  age  nearly  everything  is 
measured  by  commercial  standards :  name,  affec- 
tions, life  itself,  are  measured  by  material  values. 
But  the  human  soul  is  priceless  above  all  earthly 
things ;  therefore,  he  who  engages  in  the  work 
of  saving  men  is  performing  the  most  exalted 
service  known  to  mortal  man.  Even  the  angels 
of  heaven  have  not  the  privilege  of  doing  the 
work  that  a  redeemed  soul  may  do.  "  And  he 
that  winneth  souls  is  wise  "  (Prov.  xi.  30). 

We  all  prize  human  hfe  highly,  but  we  should 
prize  a  human  soul  more  highly  still.  Let  us 
hope  that  we  are  growing  in  our  appreciation  as 
to  the  value  of  both  the  life  and  the  soul.  Our 
own  country  is  known  as  a  nation  of  disasters, 
but  we  are  striving  to  place  more  safeguards 
around  human  life.  Neglect  or  carelessness 
which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  life  was  once  looked 
209 


210  Normal  Evangelism 

upon  as  a  matter  of  fact  and  little  attention  was 
given  to  the  placing  of  the  blame.  But  now  the 
offender  is  held  accountable  almost  as  much  as 
would  be  a  criminal.  Public  sentiment  is  grow- 
ing stronger  against  neglect  which  causes  the  loss 
of  life;  our  legislative  bodies  are  making  the 
laws  in  such  cases  more  stringent  that  human 
life  may  be  better  protected  ;  our  courts  and  offi- 
cers are  becoming  more  strict  in  the  enforcement 
of  such  laws,  and  in  the  punishment  of  offenses, 
which  have  caused  the  loss  of  life  or  limb. 
Mr.  Carnegie's  "  Hero  Fund "  will  have  its 
weight,  no  doubt,  by  impressing  upon  the  minds 
of  people  generally  the  sacredness  of  human  Hfe. 
As  we  advance  in  the  scale  of  civilization  we 
come  to  appreciate  more  and  more  the  value  of 
human  life.  This,  of  course,  is  due  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  We  have  not  yet 
attained  that  high  state  of  development  which  we 
shall  some  day  attain  under  the  Messiah's  reign 
when  the  people  "  shall  beat  their  swords  into 
plowshares,  and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks  ; 
nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation, 
neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more."  May 
the  time  speedily  come  when  man  shall  no  longer 
look  upon  his  brother  as  did  wicked  Cain  to  slay 
him,  but  as  did  Jesus  who  died  to  save  him. 
And  yet,  in  the  light  of  present  conditions,  we 
are  forced  to  ask  the  question :  Do  Christian 
people  place  as  high  an  estimate  on  human  souls 


Wisdom  in  Soul- Winning         211 

as  does  the  world  generally  on  human  hves  ?  Do 
we  manifest  the  same  anxious  concern  when  im- 
mortal souls  are  in  peril  that  we  do  when  human 
lives  are  endangered  ?  Recently  our  whole  coun- 
try was  shocked  by  the  awful  mine  disaster  at 
Cherry,  111.,  when  some  three  hundred  men  were 
entombed  within  a  burning  mine.  Our  hearts 
were  made  sick  as  we  read  the  details  of  that  ter- 
rible catastrophe ;  our  deepest  sympathies  went 
out  for  those  unfortunate  creatures,  most  of  whom 
died  before  the  rescuers  could  reach  them.  Now 
are  we  as  deeply  concerned  when  we  know  that 
souls  are  entombed  within  the  prison  house  of 
sin — locked  up,  as  it  were,  by  their  own  lusts 
and  sinful  natures,  doomed  to  eternal  death  un- 
less they  are  speedily  rescued  ? 

Christian  people  need  to  have  a  deeper  convic- 
tion as  to  the  reality  of  the  death  from  which  the 
sinner  is  to  he  saved.  How  awful  is  the  death 
of  a  man  in  a  burning  mine  !  More  awful  still  is 
the  death  of  a  soul  condemned  in  sin  !  Are  we 
fully  conscious  of  the  fact  that  souls  out  of  Christ 
are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  ?  People  do  not 
have  to  die  to  be  lost ;  if  they  are  out  of  Christ 
they  are  lost  now.  "  He  that  believeth  not  hath 
been  judged  already,  because  he  hath  not  be- 
lieved on  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God  "(John  iii.  18).  People  need  to  be  saved 
from  something,  else  why  a  Saviour  ?  "  And 
thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus  ;  for  He  it  is  that 


212  Normal  Evangelism 

shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins  "  (Matt.  i.  2i). 
Jesus  is  the  Saviour  of  men  because  He  delivers 
them  from  the  power  of  sin  and  its  consequences, 
which  is  death.  As  physical  death  is  a  separa- 
tion of  the  spirit  from  the  body  so  spiritual  death 
is  a  separation  of  the  spirit  from  God.  The  sin- 
ner is  thus  separated  from  God  even  in  this  life. 
It  is  the  part  of  wisdom  that  we  rescue  him  now 
lest  that  separation  be  eternal. 

If  we  would  rise  to  the  highest  conception  as 
to  the  worth  of  a  soul  then  we  must  behold  the 
human  soul,  as  it  were,  through  the  eyes  of  the 
Creator.  The  record  of  creation  shows  that 
special  importance  was  given  to  the  creation  of 
man.  He  was  a  creature  destined  to  be  God's 
representative  on  earth,  made  in  His  image  and 
likeness,  and  clothed  with  authority  to  rule  the 
visible  world.  How  truly  could  the  poet  of 
poets  say :  "  What  a  piece  of  work  is  man  !  How 
noble  in  reason  !  how  infinite  in  faculties !  in 
form  and  moving  how  express  and  admirable ! 
in  action,  how  Hke  an  angel !  in  apprehension, 
how  like  a  god ! "  But  the  divine  conception 
excels  that  of  any  human  being.  "  I  will  make 
a  man  more  precious  than  fine  gold  ;  even  more 
than  the  golden  wedge  of  Ophir"  (Isa.  xiii.  12). 
"What  is  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
Or  the  son  of  man,  that  Thou  visitest  him  ?  Thou 
madest  him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels  ;  Thou 
crownedst  him  with  glory  and  honour,  and  Thou 


Wisdom  in  Soul-Winning         213 

didst  set  him  over  the  work  of  Thy  hands  :  Thou 
didst  put  all  things  in  subjection  under  his  feet " 
(Heb.  ii.  6-8).  But  man  through  transgression 
fell  short  of  his  destiny.  God  did  not  desire  that 
man  should  fail  utterly.  So,  through  His  Son, 
God  offers  to  fallen  man  the  ideal  which  He  lost 
in  the  fall.  In  Jesus  Christ  may  be  realized  the 
highest  type  of  perfection.  Christ  is  God's  esti- 
mate of  what  a  man  may  become  through  faith. 
The  worth  of  a  soul  is  shown  by  what  Christ  did 
for  man  by  His  atoning  death.  And  when  we 
once  come  to  view  lost  men  from  the  divine  side 
we  will  be  willing  to  do  more  to  rescue  them 
from  eternal  death  and  to  save  them  to  eternal 
hfe.  "  Let  him  know  that  he  who  converteth  a 
sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way  shall  save  a  soul 
from  death,  and  shall  cover  a  multitude  of  sins  " 
(James  v.  20). 

The  wise  soiol-winner  will  seek  the  higJiest 
qualifications  for  such  a  work.  It  is  the  greatest 
work  in  the  world  and,  therefore,  requires  the 
greatest  skill  and  the  most  thorough  preparation. 
The  architect  who  designs  a  great  steel  bridge 
over  some  river  must  know  what  he  is  doing. 
There  can  be  no  conjectures  or  mere  guesses. 
Too  much  is  at  stake  for  anything  but  the  most 
accurate  knowledge  and  skill  to  be  used.  Like- 
wise, he  who  would  direct  the  construction  of  a 
great  canal  must  possess  qualifications  for  that 
particular  work.     He  who  would  lead  an  army 


214  Normal  Evangelism 

to  victory  must  be  skilled  in  the  things  of  war. 
He  who  would  pilot  the  ship  must  know  the 
course  he  takes.  So  he  who  would  bring  souls 
to  Jesus  should  have  some  preparation  for  that 
great  work.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
some  fail  as  soul-winners  for  they  have  never 
sought  preparation  for  the  important  task. 

First  in  importance  in  the  preparation  of  the* 
soul- winner  is  a  personal  knowledge  of  Christ  as 
Saviour.  We  mean  by  this  that  one  must  ex- 
perience a  work  of  grace  in  his  own  heart  before 
he  can  successfully  lead  others  to  such  an  expe- 
rience. Once  a  young  lady  came  to  me  at  the 
close  of  the  Sunday-school  hour  saying  that  she 
would  Hke  to  teach  a  class  in  the  Sunday-school. 
Her  offer  was  declined  because  she  had  never 
given  herself  to  Christ.  For  her  to  have  at- 
tempted to  teach  a  class  of  boys  or  girls  would 
have  been  but  the  blind  leading  the  blind,  for 
she  was  lacking  in  the  first  prerequisite  for  the 
teacher,  namely,  a  surrender  of  her  own  will  to 
Christ.  Without  this  one  essential  all  efforts  to 
lead  others  to  a  personal  knowledge  of  Christ 
will  be  empty  and  vain.  Andrew  first  found 
Jesus  himself  and  then  he  brought  his  own 
brother  to  Him.  First  find  the  Lord  yourself 
and  then  you  may  go  out  and  bring  others  to 
Him. 

Nothing  is  more  essential  in  the  soul-winner 
than  a  knowledge  of  the  Word  of  God.     Other 


Wisdom  in  Soul-Winning         215 

information  may  be  valuable   and   can  be  used 
with  good  effect,  but  a  knowledge  of  the  Bible  is 
of  prime  importance.     It  is   not  sufficient  to  be 
able  to  use  bits  and  fragments  of  it  here  and  there 
but   a    general    knowledge    is  imperative.     For 
example,  a  worker  who  would  turn  to  the  Old 
Testament  to  find  i    Corinthians  would  accom- 
plish about  as  much  as  would  a  carpenter  in  at- 
tempting to  cut  a  piece  of  wood  in  two  with  the 
back  of  his  saw.     I  have  been  pained  to  witness 
the  utter  ignorance  of  otherwise  intelUgent  Chris- 
tians   as  to  the  general  idea,  purpose,  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  books  of  the  Bible.     Such   a 
knowledge  is  possible  for  the  average  disciple  of 
Jesus,  and  if  we  are  true  disciples  (a  disciple  is  a 
learner)  then  it  should  be  our  delight  to  learn 
more  of  God's  truth  that  we  may  enjoy  and  use 
it  for  His  glory. 

Many  are  loud  in  their  praises  of  the  Bible, 
avowing  their  confidence  in  its  trustworthiness, 
professing  their  fondness  for  it,  acknowledging 
their  admiration  of  it,  yet  actually  knowing 
very  little  about  it.  They  all  but  worship  it 
and  look  upon  it  as  a  sort  of  fetish  without 
which  they  would  not  be  safe  for  an  hour. 
They  give  it  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  mantle 
or  centre- table,  especially  when  expecting  a  visit 
from  the  preacher,  but  as  to  an  intelligent 
use  of  it  they  are  wholly  destitute.  They  have 
the  most  vague  and  imperfect  conceptions  as  to 


2i6  Normal  Evangelism 

what  the  Bible  really  is.  One  of  our  enterprising 
American  manufacturers  sent  a  new  plow  as  a 
present  to  a  certain  tribe  in  South  Africa.  The 
natives  were  delighted  with  their  new  possession. 
They  took  it  and  planted  it  upright  in  the 
ground,  painted  it  red  and  worshipped  it  as  a 
god.  They  did  the  best  they  knew  in  the  light 
of  the  knowledge  they  had,  but  quite  missed  the 
purpose  of  this  instrument  of  utility.  We  give 
the  Bible  a  place  in  our  lives  and,  indeed,  do  at- 
tempt to  make  some  use  of  it,  but  what  a  blunder 
some  of  us  make  in  our  attempt  to  use  it  aright ! 

We  must  not  only  have  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  Scriptures  but  we  must  hioio  how  to  use 
it  for  s^pecific  ends.  Paul's  exhortation  comes 
with  great  force  to  us :  "  Give  diligence  to  pre- 
sent thyself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that 
needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  handling  aright  the 
word  of  truth"  (2  Tim.  ii.  15).  The  term,  han- 
dling aright.,  is  significant.  It  means,  literally,  to 
cut  out  in  a  straight  line  ;  and  doubtless  has  ref- 
erence to  the  cutting  out  the  different  pieces,  as 
of  a  garment,  so  as  to  make  them  fit.  Paul  being 
a  tent-maker  would  naturally  borrow  and  use  the 
term  figuratively.  Practically,  it  means  to  know 
how  and  when  to  use  the  various  parts  of  the 
Word — to  use  the  Word  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
meet  the  needs  of  individuals. 

He  is  wise  who  knows  how  to  use  the  Scrip- 
tures so  as  to  let  God  speak  His  own  message 


Wisdom  in  Soul- Winning         217 

direct  to  the  heart  of  that  individual.  For  in- 
stance, to  one  who  is  indiferent,  turn  to  Heb. 
ii.  2,  and  i  Peter  iv.  18;  if  he  does  not  think 
himself  a  sinner  let  him  read  Rom.  iii.  10-23 ; 
to  the  skeptical  read  John  iii.  18;  i  John  v.  10; 
Rev.  xxi.  8  ;  to  the  anxious  inquirer  read  John 
iii.  16,  36;  to  one  hurdened  with  the  sense 
of  sin  read  Isa.  i.  18;  John  vi.  37;  i  John 
i.  9,  10;  to  the  moralist  read  Luke  xviii.  22; 
John  X.  if.;  Rom.  iii.  20 ;  to  one  who  fears  he 
will  not  hold  out  read  John  v.  24 ;  John  x.  28,  29 ; 
Rom.  viii.  35  ;  Heb.  vii.  25  ;  to  one  who  fears 
what  others  will  say  read  Luke  xii.  8,  9 ;  Acts 
V.  29 ;  to  one  who  sees  no  need  of  j^uhlic  confes- 
sion read  Rom.  x.  9 ;  Matt.  x.  32 ;  to  one  who 
helieves  hut  does  not  know  his  ditty  read  Matt, 
xvi.  24;  Acts  ii.  38  ;  Rom.  vi.  4-14 ;  to  one  who 
thinks  there  is  no  necessity  for  his  uniting  with 
the  church  read  Acts  ii.  41,42;  John  xiv.  15; 
I  John  iii.  13  ;  to  one  who  lacks  assurance  read 
John  vii.  17;  i  John  iv.  12;  i  John  v.  4 ;  to 
the  hackslider  read  2  Peter  ii.  21,  22  ;  Luke  ix.  62 ; 
James  iv.  8- 10.  This  list  of  subjects  and  reference 
is  not  meant  to  be  exhaustive,  only  suggestive. 
There  is  Scripture  to  meet  each  individual  case 
if  we  only  know  how  to  find  and  use  it.  The 
Sword  of  the  Spirit  is  a  mighty  weapon  when 
wielded  skillfully  and  it  is  our  privilege  thus  to 
use  it. 

Next  in  importance  to  a  knowledge  of  the 


2i8  Normal  Evangelism 

Bible  is  a  knowledge  of  human  nature.  It  was 
said  of  the  greatest  of  soul-winners  that  *♦  He 
Himself  knew  what  was  in  man."  While  we 
cannot  hope  to  have  the  deep  insight  into  char- 
acter that  Jesus  had,  yet  it  behooves  us  to  study- 
character  that  we  may  be  wise  in  our  deahng 
with  people.  There  is  an  avenue  of  approach 
to  each  soul  if  we  can  but  find  it.  We  need  to 
pray  for  wisdom  that  we  may  find  the  key  that 
unlocks  the  door  to  the  inner  being  of  the  one 
whom  we  would  win  to  Jesus.  "  But  if  any  of 
you  lacketh  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  .  .  . 
and  it  shall  be  given  him  "  (James  i.  5).  Let  us 
remember  that  those  in  error  need  a  guide,  but 
we  must  not  attempt  to  guide  them  against  their 
own  wills.  We  must  first  put  them  at  ease  with 
us.  The  unsaved,  as  a  rule,  are  timid  and  sen- 
sitive; we  should  be  careful  lest  we  frighten, 
anger,  or  wound  them.  Let  us  ever  bear  in  mind 
that  we  are  to  win  them  and  not  to  drive  them  to 
Jesus.  For  this  reason  it  is  not  well  to  argue 
questions  with  the  unsaved.  It  is  seldom,  if  ever, 
that  an  argument  results  in  a  conversion.  Let 
the  unsaved  know  that  there  is  something  more 
important  than  argument,  namely,  his  own  salva- 
tion. Let  God's  Word  settle  all  questions  that 
may  arise.  Yet  we  may  at  all  times  say  :  "  Come 
now,  and  let  us  reason  together." 

We  should  never  approach  the  unsaved  with 
anything  like  levity.     For  one  to  approach  two 


Wisdom  in  Soul-Winning         219 

unsaved  men,  for  example,  and  say  to  them  that 
he  has  a  notion  to  bump  their  heads  together 
because  they  do  not  become  Christians,  is  to 
belittle  the  matter  of  becoming  a  Christian.  Or 
to  say  to  an  unbeliever,  jestingly,  "  You're  a 
good  one,"  or  ''  We'll  get  you  yet,"  or  "  You're 
a  hard  case,"  is  not  likely  to  deepen  his  convic- 
tion or  bring  him  any  nearer  Christ.  There 
should  be  such  an  earnestness  in  every  word  and 
bearing  of  the  soul-winner  as  to  make  the  un- 
saved feel  that  the  matter  of  his  salvation  is  the 
supreme  interest  of  his  hfe— for  it  is.  It  is  not 
a  thing  to  jest  about  for  it  is  a  matter  of  life  and 
death.  Let  them  know  that  your  *'  heart's  desire 
and  prayer  to  God  "  is  that  they  may  be  saved, 
and  you  will  be  more  likely  to  win  them. 

Yet  we  must  guard  against  the  other  extreme  ; 
undue  emotion.  For  an  emotional  Christian 
woman  to  throw  her  arms  around  a  young  girl 
who  is  not  a  Christian  and  give  way  to  tears  arid 
ejaculations  is  but  to  excite  and  confuse  the  girl, 
and  if  she  does  take  any  public  stand  for  Christ  it 
is  not  intelligent  and  the  action  is  likely  to  become 
a  source  of  regret  in  after  life  rather  than  a  joyful 
memory.  There  is  no  work  in  all  the  world  in 
which  there  is  more  need  for  good,  practical 
common  sense  than  in  the  service  of  soul-win- 
ning. To  a  band  of  soul-winners  long  ago  was 
given  the  sane  and  practical  exhortation,  «'  Be  ye 
therefore  wise  as  serpents  and  harmless  as  doves." 


220  Normal  Evangelism 

He  who  would  win  others  from  the  ways  of 
sin  and  error  must  have  a  sympathetic  heart. 
He  must  not  be  impatient,  harsh,  or  denunci- 
atory. Some  ministers  seem  never  so  much 
at  home  as  when  pronouncing  the  doom  of 
the  wicked  and  unbeHeving.  It  is  said  of  the 
great  Moody  that  he  could  not  speak  of  the  lost 
without  tears  in  his  eyes,  so  great  was  his  com- 
passion for  them.  We  must  be  able  to  enter  into 
sympathy  with  the  sinner  and  remember  that  we 
were  once  sinners.  Do  we  forget  that  we  were 
once  indifferent  to  the  divine  call?  that  we 
hardened  our  hearts  in  unbelief?  that  we  were 
callous  to  gospel  entreaties  ?  that  we  resisted  the 
wooings  of  the  gentle  Spirit  ?  that  we  shut  out 
the  light  of  heaven  from  our  souls  until  God,  as 
it  were,  reached  down  and  in  His  love  took  hold 
of  us  and  lifted  us  out  of  the  miry  clay  and  set 
our  feet  on  the  solid  rock  of  Christ  Jesus  ? 

Then  let  us  sympathize  with  the  sinner  and  by 
prayer  and  persuasion  let  us  love  him  into  the 
kingdom  of  God.  In  his  splendid  little  book, 
"  The  Passion  for  Souls,"  Rev.  J.  H.  Jowett  very 
aptly  says :  "  We  can  never  heal  the  wounds  we 
do  not  feel.  Tearless  hearts  can  never  be  the 
heralds  of  the  Passion.  We  must  pity  if  we 
would  redeem.  We  must  bleed  if  we  would  be 
the  ministers  of  the  saving  blood.  We  must 
perfect  by  our  passion  the  Passion  of  the  Lord, 
and  by  our  own  suffering  sympathies  we  must 


Wisdom  in  Soul-Winning         221 

*  fill  up  that  which  is  behind  in  the  sufferings  of 
Christ.' " 

The  Christian  world  must  realize  the  power  of 
the  personal  touch.  Recent  investigations  and 
experiments  have  revealed  some  marvellous 
phenomena  in  the  realm  of  personal  magnetism  ; 
and  the  results  thus  far  only  emphasize  the  vast- 
ness  of  the  unexplored  field  in  that  realm  of 
science.  But  this  much  is  true,  that  the  power 
of  one  personality  over  another  is  very  great, 
either  for  good  or  evil,  as  the  case  may  be. 
And  one  peculiar  thing  about  this  mysterious 
power  is  that  we  all  possess  it,  so  that  we  all 
become  human  props,  as  it  were ;  when  one  falls, 
others  fall  with  him  ;  when  one  rises,  others  rise 
with  him.  *'  For  none  of  us  liveth  to  himself, 
and  none  dieth  to  himself  "  (Rom.  xiv.  7).  Every 
Christian  needs  to  realize  that  he  has  an  influence 
that  may  be  exerted  for  the  good  of  others. 
The  humblest  believer  in  the  land  may  lead 
some  one  to  Jesus  if  he  will  but  try.  In  the  past, 
soul-winning  has  been  too  much  a  professional 
matter.  People  have  left  that  work  chiefly  to 
the  preachers  and  paid  workers.  I  have  had 
sinners  say  to  me,  "  Oh,  it  is  all  right  for  you  to 
talk  to  me  about  this  matter,  for  that  is  your 
business."  I  have  sometimes  coveted  the  privi- 
lege of  doing  personal  work  as  a  layman  once 
more,  not  that  I  would  cease  to  be  a  preacher 
of  the  Gospel  for  one  minute,  but  that  I  might 


222  Normal  Evangelism 

go  to  others  simply  as  one  interested  in  their 
soul's  welfare  and  not  with  semblance  of  pro- 
fessionalism. 

Would  that  Christian  people  everywhere  would 
wake  up  to  the  fact  that  soul-winning  is  their 
great  privilege  and  their  duty  as  well  as  that  of 
the  minister's !  We  hail  with  joy  great  move- 
ments like  "  The  Laymen's  Missionary  Move- 
ment "  and  "  The  Man  by  Man  Mission  "  which 
have  for  their  object  the  winning  of  others  to 
Christ  abroad  and  at  home.  Surely  a  new  spirit 
of  missionary  activity  is  upon  us  ;  and  let  us  pray 
that  the  time  may  soon  come  when  it  shall  be 
said  of  our  age  even  in  a  fuller  sense  as  was  said 
of  the  apostolic  age  :  "  They  therefore  that  were 
scattered  abroad  went  about  preaching  the  word  " 
(Acts  viii.  4). 

He  is  wisest  who  strives  for  the  highest  ends. 
Many  are  spending  their  lives  on  that  which  is 
emptiness  and  nothingness  when  they  might  be 
having  the  best.  The  greatest  of  all  promises 
is  to  the  soul-winner  because  his  is  the  greatest 
of  all  services.  If  Christian  people  could  only 
see  this  and  strive  for  God's  best  instead  of  re- 
ceiving the  reward  of  their  own  folly !  Think 
of  the  reward  of  the  soul-winner  !  Our  poor 
minds  cannot  comprehend  it.  It  is  difficult  to 
speak  the  language  of  heaven  to  mortals.  The 
inspired  prophet  doubtless  sought  from  the 
realm  of  this  world  a  symbol  that  would  express 


Wisdom  in  Soul- Winning         223 

in  a  measure  the  soul-winner's  reioard  ^  but  he 
found  it  not.  At  last  his  inspired  vision  swept 
the  dome  of  heaven  with  its  many  splendid 
lights,  one  star  differing  from  another  star  in 
glory,  and  there  he  found  an  adequate  symbol : 
"  And  they  that  are  wise  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many 
to  righteousness  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever  " 
(Dan.  xii.  3). 


XI 

Convert  Culture 


Most  converts — yes,  most  believers  as  well — need  line  upon 
line,  precept  upon  precept,  here  a  little  and  there  a  little, 
to  make  them  able  to  give  a  reason  for  the  hope  that  is  in 
them.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  established  and  stand  fast  in 
the  faith ;  and,  in  order  to  do  this,  nothing,  it  is  safe  to  say, 
is  so  essential  as  the  organizing  of  young  converts  into  classes 
for  stated  and  continuous  instruction  in  the  Word.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that,  without  this,  it  is  impossible  to  secure 
satisfactory  results  in  evangelistic  work,  or  growth  and  power 
in  the  Christian  life. — E.  P.  Goodwin. 

It  is  earnestly  believed  that  our  churches  would  gain 
strength  in  every  way  if  the  pastors  would  at  once  arrange 
for  a  series  of  teaching  services  week  by  week,  wherein  they 
might  carefully  discuss  before  all  their  people,  especially  the 
young,  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  Such  a  series 
of  services  would  kindle  a  general  interest  in  the  study  of  the 
Bible  such  as  we  have  not  seen  before,  and  thus  would  the 
faith  of  God's  people  be  strengthened  and  their  zeal  for  His 
work  augmented  in  a  way  not  otherwise  possible.  Surely,  this 
is  a  consummation  most  devoutly  to  be  desired. 

— George  W.  Truett. 

There  are  three  things  for  which  the  one  who  would  make  a 
success  of  the  Christian  life  must  especially  pray :  First,  for 
wisdom,  «•  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God  " 
(James  i.  5)  ;  second,  for  strength,  "  But  they  that  wait  for 
Jehovah  shall  renew  their  strength  "  (Isa.  xl.  31)  ;  third,  for  the 
Holy  Spirit,  "  Your  heavenly  Father  shall  give  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  them  that  ask  Him  "  (Matt.  xi.  13).  If  you  have  not  received 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  you  should  offer  definite  prayer 
for  this  definite  blessing  and  definitely  expect  to  receive  it. 
If  you  have  already  received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
you  should  with  each  new  emergency  of  Christian  work  pray 
to  God  for  a  new  filling  with  the  Holy  Spirit. — R.  A.  Torrey. 


XI 

CONVERT  CULTURE 

-1 

THERE  is  so  much  involved  in  the  Great 
Commission  that  it  is  quite  natural  that 
we  should  overlook  some  portions  of 
it ;  but  the  surprise  is  that  we  have  overlooked 
so  important  a  part,  namely,  "  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you."  This  leads  us  to  conclude  that  the  full 
import  of  the  last  Great  Command  has  not  yet 
been  grasped  by  the  Christian  world.  A  little 
more  than  a  century  ago  there  was  an  awaken- 
ing as  to  the  great  missionary  idea  contained  in 
the  Great  Commission  when  William  Carey  be- 
came the  leading  spirit  in  the  world's  evangeli- 
zation. We  have  in  a  measure  comprehended 
the  meaning  of  the  first  half  of  the  Command, 
"  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the 
nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit.^ 
Let  us  hope  that  in  the  century  to  come  we  shall 
rise  to  a  higher  conception  of  the  second  part  of 
the  Commission  which  is  coordinate  with  and 
equal  to  the  first  part. 

"  The  person  who  is  discipled  and  baptized  is 
only   started    in    a   course   of  Christian   living. 
227 


228  Normal  Evangelism 

Notice  that  it  is  not  simply  teaching  the  com- 
mandments of  Christ,  but  teaching  them  to  ob- 
serve His  commandments.  They  who  disciple 
and  baptize  men  must  teach  them  the  duty  of 
obeying  Christ  in  all  things,  and  the  Christian 
instructor  has  fallen  short  of  his  task  unless  those 
whom  he  is  called  to  instruct  have  both  learned 
what  Christ's  commandments  are,  and  have  learned 
to  observe  them."  So  speaks  Dr.  J.  A.  Broadus 
in  his  "  Commentary  on  Matthew."  Much  of 
the  work  of  discvpling  has  not  included  that  of 
teaching  ^  and  much  of  the  work  of  teaching  has 
ignored  that  of  discipling.  We  need  a  better 
adjustment  of  these  two  important  tasks.  We 
must  not  relax  in  our  zeal  for  making  disciples 
but  we  must  increase  in  our  zeal  for  "  teaching 
them."  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  best  way  to 
inspire  more  zeal  in  the  work  of  discipHng  will 
be  to  teach  and  train  the  disciples  we  already 
have.  It  is  but  natural  for  one  to  enjoy  doing  that 
which  he  is  trained  to  do  well. 

/  The  carrying  out  of  the  second  half  of  the 
Great  Commission  is  far  more  difficult  than  the 
performing  of  the  first  half.  It  requires  more 
patience,  skill,  preparation,  and  persistent  effort 
than  any  other  form  of  Christian  service.  We 
have  not  magnified  its  importance  as  we  should 
[Jiave  done.  Many  now  shrink  from  it  because 
of  the  difficulties  connected  with  it.  It  does  not 
appeal  to  some  because  they  cannot  tabulate  re- 


Convert  Culture  229 

suits.  An  evangelist  after  a  two  weeks*  meeting 
with  a  church  can  tabulate  larger  results  than  can 
many  a  pastor  on  the  same  field  after  several  years 
of  hard  work  in  teaching  and  training  the  people. 
"  One  sows  and  another  reaps."  The  fault  is 
not  altogether  with  one  but  with  both,  perhaps. 
If  the  pastor  did  a  little  more  evangelizing  and 
the  evangelist  a  little  more  teaching  the  results 
would  be  more  nearly  equal. 

In  the  present  age  we  have  gone  to  the  extreme 
on  counting  numbers,  and  attach  too  Httle  value 
to  the  things  which  cannot  be  set  down  in  a  col- 
umn of  statistics.  But  much  of  the  best  service 
cannot  thus  be  estimated.  Only  a  very  small  part 
of  what  our  Saviour  did  was  ever  recorded.  "  And 
there  are  also  many  other  things  which  Jesus  did, 
the  which  if  they  should  be  written  every  one,  I 
suppose  that  even  the  world  itself  would  not  con- 
tain the  books  that  should  be  written  "  (John  xxi. 
25).  It  is  the  spirit  of  Jesus  for  us  to  do  His 
will  whatever  that  may  be,  whether  the  results 
of  our  service  can  be  recorded  or  not.  This  is 
an  age  of  great  things ;  and  we  have  come  to 
think  and  to  speak  in  great  numbers.  It  is  well 
that  we  have  great  ideas  to  think  about  and 
great  things  to  speak  about,  but  let  us  not  un- 
dervalue the  things  that  do  not  appear  great  in 
the  eyes  of  men.  This  is  Jesus'  last  Great  Com- 
mand and  we  need  to  recognize  that  every  part 
of  it  as  well  as  the  whole  of  it  is  great. 


230  Normal  Evangelism 

The  wisdom  of  training  others  for  service  is 
seen  in  the  example  of  Jesus.  We  see  Him 
gathering  about  Him  those  early  disciples  who 
had  various  capacities  and  temperaments,  and 
who  were  selected  from  the  different  walks  of 
life,  that  He  might  train  them  for  His  service. 
And  we  may  be  sure  that  it  was  no  easy  task  to 
awaken  their  sleeping  intellects,  break  down 
their  stubborn  prejudices,  eradicate  their  materi- 
alistic ideas  of  the  kingdom,  and  elevate  and 
purify  their  conceptions  of  the  one  true  God. 
The  greater  part  of  His  ministry  was  given  to 
this  kind  of  work,  and  we  know  that  He  was 
often  grieved  because  of  their  slowness  of  heart 
as  from  time  to  time  He  put  them  to  the  test  as 
to  their  understanding  and  progress.  Yet  with 
all  its  difficulties  and  disappointments  the  Great 
Teacher  saw  the  importance  of  such  a  work  and 
spent  His  strength  upon  it.  And  we  dare  not 
conjecture  the  results  of  His  earthly  ministry 
after  His  death  and  ascension  had  He  not  laid 
the  foundation  for  a  future  world-religion  in  the 
minds  of  those  humble  men  whom  He  taught, 
rebuked,  exhorted,  amazed,  and  inspired,  during 
those  weary  years  of  toil  and  sacrifice.  Did  it 
pay  ?  Look  at  what  Christianity  is  to-day  and 
the  question  is  answered.  **  Blessed  are  the  eyes 
which  see  the  things  that  ye  see." 

Convert  eidture  occupied  a  large  part  of 
PauVs  ministry.     He   had   the  ability  to  dis- 


Convert  Culture  231 

cover  and  use  good  men  and  women.  At  An- 
tioch  he  finds  Silas;  at  Lystra,  Timothy;  at 
Derbe,  Gains;  at  Troas,  Luke;  in  Berea, 
Sopater;  in  Corinth,  Erastus,  Aquila  and  Pris- 
cilla;  thus  it  was  wherever  he  went  he  was  on 
the  alert  for  helpers.  On  this  point,  Rev. 
Chalmers  Martin  says  in  "  Apostolic  and  Modern 
Missions  "  :  «'  Few  things  contributed  more  di- 
rectly to  his  success  than  this  faculty  for  utiHz- 
ing  others  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel,  this  power 
to  attract  and  bind  to  himself,  to  train  and  di- 
rect, a  great  company  of  colabourers,  through 
whom  he  multiplied  himself  a  hundredfold." 

That  which  was  true  of  the  great  missionary 
to  the  Gentiles  has  been  true  of  all  other  great 
missionaries  since  his  day  :  the  ability  to  dis- 
cover, train,  and  direct  others  in  the  work  of 
spreading  the  Gospel  is  one  of  the  essential  quali- 
fications of  the  missionary.  Such  has  been  the 
history  of  every  missionary  who  has  made  his 
work  permanent.  The  methods  in  modern  mis- 
sions are  in  essence  the  same  as  those  employed 
in  apostolic  times.  "  Missionaries  of  to-day  lay 
great  stress  upon  preaching,"  says  Rev.  Chalmers 
Martin,  •'  but  they  are  not,  and,  in  the  face  of  the 
needs  of  heathenism  and  of  the  churches  in 
heathen  lands,  they  cannot  be,  content  to  be 
preachers  simply.  With  the  first  successes  gained 
by  the  truth  they  find  themselves  called  to  be 
more  than  preachers — apostles,  bishops,  superin- 


232  Normal  Evangelism 

tendents,  having  oversight  of  a  plurahty  of 
churches  and  expanding  the  work."  It  is  very- 
difficult  for  those  of  us  who  are  at  home  to 
reahze  the  task  of  the  missionary  in  the  way  of 
training  and  directing  converts.  It  is  absolutely 
essential  to  their  success. 

The  same  jprincijple  holds  true  in  our  work  at 
home  :  those  churches  in  which  there  is  a  great 
deal  of  teaching  are  found  to  produce  the  most 
permanent  results.  Many  a  pastorate  has  ap- 
peared to  be  most  flourishing  under  the  leader- 
ship of  certain  gifted  men,  but  after  they  had 
gone  there  was  little  that  remained  as  a  witness 
to  the  permanency  of  their  work.  The  pastor 
was  not  lacking  in  the  gift  of  speech,  perhaps, 
nor  in  his  power  to  interest  and  hold  his  congre- 
gations, neither  was  he  lacking  in  social  qualities, 
nor  was  his  ministry  barren  of  fruits,  for  many 
may  have  been  added  to  the  church  roll.  But 
look  closely  enough  and  likely  you  will  find  that 
the  teaching  element  has  been  neglected.  No 
ministry  can  be  highly  successful  which  neglects  it. 

A  case  in  point  will  serve  to  emphasize  the 
value  of  a  teaching  ministry.  There  is  in  a  cer- 
tain city  a  great  church  which  has  been  for  many 
years,  and  now  is,  the  pride  of  its  denomination. 
It  can  boast  of  a  long  line  of  noble  pastors,  its 
membership  runs  up  into  the  thousands,  its  be- 
nevolences are  astonishing,  its  departments  and 
interests  are  varied,  its  missionary  zeal  is  inspir- 


Convert  Culture 


233 


ing,  its  evangelistic  fervour  unabating.  One  looks 
upon  its  splendid  work  and  says,  "  How  came 
it  all  about  ?  "  The  question  is  easily  answered, 
at  least  from  the  human  point  of  view,  when  you 
go  back  a  little  into  its  history.  You  will  find 
that  some  years  ago  a  young  pastor  spent  the 
best  ten  years  of  his  life  laying  broad  and  deep 
foundations  for  a  great  church.  One  of  the  chief 
factors  in  that  foundation  work  was  the  attention 
given  to  teaching  and  training  the  members  of 
that  church.  This  fact  more  than  any  other  ac- 
counts for  the  power  and  usefulness  of  this  church. 

Next  in  importance  to  winning  a  soul  to 
Christ  is  the  training  of  that  soul  for  service. 
As  the  apple  tree  must  have  the  best  care  and 
nurture  if  it  would  bear  the  best  fruit,  so  must  the 
young  convert  be  nurtured  if  he  would  bring 
forth  the  fruits  of  righteousness.  Every  believer 
has  been  ordained  unto  service.  "  I  chose  you, 
and  appointed  you,  that  ye  should  go  and  bear 
fruit"  (John  xv.  16).  The  highest  purposes 
and  ideals  in  the  Christian  life  are  attained  only 
through  training  and  development.  Therefore, 
we  should  engage  in  this  work  for  the  rich  bless- 
ing it  will  bring  to  the  new  convert,  for  the  good 
he  may  do  in  the  world  because  of  that  training, 
and  for  the  glory  he  may  reflect  upon  the  name 
of  his  Master  and  Lord. 

We  should  train  helievers  for  the  very  hest 
service  possible.     It  is  said  that  the  prime  object 


234  Normal  Evangelism 

of  our  military  and  naval  schools  is  to  develop 
character  for  the  kind  of  service  the  men  are  to 
perform.  Our  aim  as  ministers,  teachers  and 
churches  is  to  develop  character  for  service  in 
the  name  of  Christ.  Every  element  of  character 
needed  to  perform  any  good  work  is  needed  by 
the  Christian :  the  alertness  of  the  lawyer,  the 
skill  of  the  physician,  the  courage  of  the  soldier, 
the  discrimination  of  the  artist,  the  mental 
acumen  of  the  architect,  the  persuasiveness  of 
the  orator,  the  knowledge  of  the  teacher,  the 
ability  of  the  commander,  the  wisdom  of  the 
philosopher,  the  humility  and  obedience  of  the 
servant  are  all  needed  in  the  service  of  King 
Jesus ;  and  it  should  be  our  delight  to  develop 
these  various  elements  as  we  discover  them  in 
different  individuals.  In  this  we  will  be  emulat- 
ing the  example  of  the  Great  Teacher. 

How  shall  the  wo7'h  of  convert  culture  he 
done  f  This,  after  all,  is  where  the  "  tug  of  war  " 
comes  in  ;  but  the  spirit  that  keeps  us  tugging 
at  it  will  enable  us  to  find  a  way  to  do  it. 
"  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention,"  it  is  said, 
and  if  we  see  the  need  of  this  important  work 
the  question  as  to  how  to  do  it  is  only  a  matter  of 
individual  effort.  The  present  work  is  not  in- 
tended to  be  a  book  on  methods  but  rather  to  lead 
Christian  workers  everywhere  to  see  the  need  of 
the  things  herein  suggested  ;  only  hints  as  to 
methods  are  here  and  there  given. 


Convert  Culture  235 

The  pastor  can  do  much  towards  nurturing 
young  converts  by  his  2)reaching,  This  he  will 
do  if  he  heeds  Paul's  admonition  to  Timothy : 
"  Preach  the  word ;  be  urgent  in  season,  out  of 
season;  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort,  with  all  long- 
suffering  and  teaching."  A  large  part  of  the 
preaching  of  Jesus  was  didactic.  It  is  frequently 
said  in  the  gospel  narratives  that  He  "  taught " 
the  people.  He  brought  forth  gems  of  truth 
from  the  Scriptures,  which  in  many  instances 
had  been  hidden  beneath  the  rubbish  of  dead 
forms,  and  gave  them  a  new  setting  and  made 
them  shine  with  a  new  lustre.  The  preacher 
must  study  how  to  make  the  truth  beautiful,  at- 
tractive, powerful ;  this  he  must  do  both  by  word 
and  practice.  The  life  should  be  a  sermon  ;  the 
sermon  should  be  a  light.  Both  sermon  and  Ufe 
should  be  a  light  on  duty,  on  the  Bible,  on  God 
and  Christ  in  their  relation  to  the  kingdom  and 
the  world.  To  be  this,  the  life  must  be  pure, 
gentle,  lovable ;  the  sermon  must  be  intelligible 
to  the  weakest,  inspirational  to  the  strongest,  and 
edifying  to  all. 

Young  lelievers  need  to  he  taugJit  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  of  the  Bible.  They  should 
know  what  they  believe  and  why  they  believe  it, 
"  Being  always  ready  to  give  answer  to  every 
man  that  asketh  you  a  reason  concerning  the 
hope  that  is  in  you,  yet  with  meekness  and  fear  " 
(i  Pet.  iii.  15).     They  need  to  be  instructed  as  to 


236  Normal  Evangelism 

their  duty  to  God  and  to  the  church  of  which 
they  are  members.  The  church  with  its  ordi- 
nances, its  doctrines,  and  its  Hfe  is  designed  to  be 
of  infinite  service  to  the  beHever,  and,  in  addition 
to  all  this,  the  church  offers  the  best  opportunity 
for  serving  God.  No  Hfe  can  be  what  it  ought 
to  be  outside  of  the  church.  Therefore,  the  new 
convert  needs  to  be  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  church-membership,  and  to  realize  his  obliga- 
tion to  support  his  church  by  his  sympathy,  his 
prayers,  and  his  means. 

The  young  convert  should  he  taught  to  use  his 
talents  in  the  service  of  Christ.  Many  are  timid 
and  shrinking  and  need  to  be  encouraged.  Many 
are  afraid  of  their  own  voices  and  must  learn 
self-mastery  before  anything  else ;  and  they  must 
keep  in  mind  that  intelligent,  repeated  effort  will 
bring  success.  Many  of  the  greatest  preachers 
made  awkward  beginnings  at  public  speaking. 
It  will  do  them  great  good  to  'become  witnesses 
for  Christ  in  public  gatherings.  This  is  one  of 
God's  appointed  means  for  spiritual  growth,  and 
for  blessing  others.  It  is  Christ's  will  that  they 
shall  become  His  witnesses.  The  believer  must 
learn  very  early  in  his  experience  the  value  of 
prayer.  Of  course,  there  are  some  who  will 
never  pray  in  public,  but  more  ought  to  pray 
than  do.  And  in  many  cases  it  is  the  fault  of 
the  pastor  and  the  church  that  they  do  not  learn 
to  pray.     Many  a  Christian  has  looked  back  with 


Convert  Culture  237 

regret  over  a  life  almost  wasted,  as  far  as  active 
service  is  concerned,  because  they  did  not  make 
the  right  start.  As  it  is  the  duty  of  the  parent 
to  see  that  the  child  has  an  even  chance  for  suc- 
cess in  life,  so  it  is  the  duty  of  the  church  to  see 
that  its  young  converts  have  an  opportunity  to 
make  a  success  of  the  Christian  life. 

The;pastor  can  do  much  of  the  work  of  train- 
ing but  he  cannot  do  it  all.  As  has  been  else- 
where suggested,  one  of  the  regular  services,  say 
the  prayer-meeting  or  young  people's  meeting, 
may  be  used  to  aid  in  the  work  of  convert  cul- 
ture, especially  after  a  revival  where  there  has 
been  an  ingathering.  Or  a  special  class  for  this 
purpose  may  be  formed  which  plan  has  some  ad- 
vantages over  the  other.  But  the  ideal  method 
is  the  personal  instruction.  When  new  converts 
are  coming  into  the  church  at  the  regular  serv- 
ices it  is  well  to  take  them  one  by  one,  or  two  by 
two,  and  instruct  them  in  the  things  of  the  Spirit. 
Here  the  pastor  has  opportunity  for  ascertaining 
the  believer's  difficulties,  also  his  fitness  for  a 
particular  kind  of  service.  In  this  way  a  pastor 
may  discover  a  teacher,  a  preacher,  a  missionary, 
or  one  who  has  gifts  for  service  never  dreamed 
of  by  any  one. 

The  pastor  must  have  the  assistance  of  his 
people  in  this  highly  important  work.  The 
young  convert  is  not  hkely  to  rise  above  the 
ideal  which  is  set  for  him  by  the  church.     I  fear 


238  Normal  Evangelism 

that  the  attitude  of  the  average  church-member 
towards  the  convert  is  more  critical  than  sympa- 
thetic. We  welcome  beUevers  into  our  fellowship 
with  an  indifference  which  bespeaks  a  lack  of 
confidence.  Our  bearing  is  as  much  as  to  say : 
"  Well,  I  hope  you  are  converted,  but  I  doubt  it. 
I  hope  you  will  do  better  than  the  common  run 
of  young  Christians,  but  I  hardly  expect  it.  Do 
the  best  you  can  and  if  you  fall  by  the  wayside 
we'll  turn  you  out  of  the  church  and  go  on  our 
way  rejoicing."  Now  what  could  we  expect 
from  a  young  Christian  who  is  received  into  the 
spiritual  household  under  such  conditions? 
"  Now  we  that  are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  in- 
firmities of  the  weak,  and  not  to  please  ourselves. 
.  .  .  Wherefore  receive  ye  one  another,  even 
as  Christ  also  received  you,  to  the  glory  of  God  " 
(Rom.  XV.  I,  7). 

The  members  have  their  part  in  nourishing 
the  younger  and  weaker  members  who  are 
within  the  fold.  They  can  do  much  to  stimu- 
late interest  in  the  regular  services ;  they  can 
encourage  the  timid  ones  to  take  up  some 
regular  task  ;  or  commend  those  who  have  al- 
ready begun  some  definite  work ;  or  a  lay  mem- 
ber who  is  qualified  might  be  given  a  class  of 
young  converts  to  teach  and  train  in  church 
work  ;  or  again,  when  special  meetings  are  held 
for  the  benefit  of  new  members,  those  who  are 
older  should  urge  the  attendance  of  the  younger, 


Convert  Culture  239 

and  it  would  not  be  amiss  for  them  to  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  importance  of  such  meetings  by  com- 
ing themselves. 

If  we  ha/ve  the  interests  of  the  younger  mem- 
hers  at  heart  we  will  find  many  ways  in  which 
to  aid  them.  I  call  to  mind  an  instance  in 
which  a  brother  was  instrumental  in  leading  a 
man  who  was  his  business  acquaintance  to 
Christ.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  seeing  his 
friend  brought  into  the  church  ;  he  wanted  to 
see  him  become  not  merely  a  Christian  in  name 
but  a  servant  of  Christ  indeed.  He  took  partic- 
ular pains  to  instruct  this  new  disciple  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  church,  and  as  to  his  duty  as 
a  Christian  and  encouraged  him  to  take  up 
active  service  at  once.  Thus  was  this  young 
convert  stimulated  to  make  an  excellent  begin- 
ning in  his  Christian  life.  Because  of  business 
relations  the  lay  brother  was  in  a  better  position  to 
help  this  friend  than  could  have  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel.  Would  that  more  of  our  laymen  had 
the  quahfications  and  the  desire  to  do  this  kind 
of  service  for  Christ ! 

The  one  great  need  at  the  jpresent  hour  is 
cooperation  hetween  pastors  and  churches  in 
striving  for  the  great  ends  set  forth  in  the 
Great  Commission y  namely,  evangelizing  and 
teaching.  This  work  cannot  be  left  to  pastors 
alone,  for  if  it  is,  they  will  make  miserable  fail- 
ures.    And  pastors  are  making  failures  in  many 


240  Normal  Evangelism 

places  throughout  the  land  because  of  a  lack  of 
support  by  the  people  in  the  work  in  general. 
The  editor  of  The  InteTwr  (Chicago)  some  time 
ago  wrote  a  very  timely  article  under  the  title : 
"  If  the  Pastor  Falls  Down,"  in  which  he  said, 
*'  Being  just  one  human  man  on  a  job  big  enough 
for  a  half  dozen  superhumans,  he's  only  too  cer- 
tain to  fall  down  somewhere  sooner  or  later." 
Then  he  goes  on  to  enumerate  the  "  abilities  a 
minister's  position  demands  of  him  "  :  he  must 
be  an  orator,  a  thinker,  a"  mixer,"  an  organizer,  a 
business  man,  a  spiritually-minded  man,  a  prac- 
tical man.  After  dwelling  on  these  points  at 
some  length  the  writer  says :  "  Yet  you're  sup- 
posing that  you've  hired  the  whole  combination 
in  the  pastor  of  your  church,  and  are  expecting 
to  get  the  benefit  of  each  of  these  various  ele- 
ments of  strength — all  out  of  one  man.  .  .  . 
Some  day  before  long  you'll  find  a  weak  side  to 
him.  .  .  .  Every  church  when  it  calls  a 
pastor  ought  to  watch  narrowly  to  see  where  he 
is  going  to  fall  down.  But  not  to  get  a  chance 
to  complain— God  forbid!  When  the  pastor 
falls  down,  then  the  church  has  discovered  where 
it  can  help  him."  Then  the  writer  suggests  that 
if  the  pastor  is  inefficient  in  any  particular  line 
— organization,  finances,  socially — then  let  those 
gifted  in  these  things  come  to  the  pastor's  rescue ; 
even  if  he  falls  down  on  his  preaching  they  can 
listen    better,   and   praise   and   encourage   him. 


Convert  Culture 


241 


Finally  he  gives  as  a  rule  for  a  growing  church  : 
*'  Count  on  your  pastor's  abilities  as  his  chance ; 
count  on  his  inabiHties  as  your  chance." 

This  idea  of  assisting  the  pastor,  let  us  hope, 
will  become  more  popular  in  the  days  that  are  to 
come.  Pastors  have  some  helpers,  to  be  sure. 
Thank  God  for  the  "  faithful  few  "  !  May  their 
tribe  increase !  May  the  time  soon  come  when 
pastors  and  churches  shall  march  in  a  solid  pha- 
lanx from  conquest  to  conquest  until  "The 
kingdom  of  this  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  "(Rev.  xi.  15).  That  day  is  sure  to 
come  for  it  is  the  promise  of  our  Lord  (Matt. 
vi.  10).  But  what  are  we  doing  to  hasten  the 
coming  of  that  day— the  day  of  our  Lord  and 
His  Christ  ?  "  Wherefore  girding  up  the  loins 
of  your  mind,  be  sober  and  set  your  hope  per- 
fectly on  the  grace  that  is  to  be  brought  unto 
you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ ;  as  chil- 
dren of  obedience,  not  fashioning  yourselves 
according  to  your  former  lusts  in  the  time  of  your 
ignorance :  but  like  as  He  who  called  you  is 
holy,  be  ye  yourselves  also  holy  in  all  manner  of 
living ;  because  it  is  written,  Ye  shall  be  holy  ; 
for  I  am  holy"  (i  Pet.  i.  13-16). 


XII 

A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism 


I  am  in  favour  of  preaching  the  Gospel  everywhere.  Hereto- 
fore, the  Baptists  have  had  their  greatest  success  in  the  country 
districts.  Looking  back  on  it  now,  I  feel  that  they  were 
guided  by  the  spirit  of  the  Lord.  We  owe  nearly  everything 
we  have  to  their  good  work.  I  believe  that  the  Baptists  now 
have  the  strongest  hold  on  country  districts.  The  other  de- 
nominations are  losing  ground  in  the  country  and  we  are  losing 
some  of  our  ground.  What  the  Baptist  churches  of  Missouri 
need  most  of  all  is  country  pastors  that  are  able  to  do  all  the 
work  of  the  pastoral  office,  including  evangelism. 

— John  Priest  Greene. 

But  the  tendency  towards  the  country  and  country  life  is  a 
tendency  that  we  ought  to  encourage  in  this  country.  It  tends 
towards  sane  and  philosophical  and  quiet  consideration  of  the 
problems  of  life.  It  takes  out  that  nervous  exhaustion  of  en- 
ergy, it  takes  out  the  gambling  spirit ;  it  takes  out  of  the  life 
of  the  citizen  that  hurry  and  rapidity  that  carries  men  quickly 
to  their  graves  and  makes  for  the  happiness  of  individuals  and 
families  far  greater  than  any  trade  or  profession  that  brings 
you  into  the  great  maelstrom  of  life. —  William  Howard  Taft. 

Rural  evangelism  is  the  Macedonia  of  our  present  church 
life  and  there  stands  an  angel  from  heaven  crying,  "  Come 
over  and  help  us."  No  vaster  field  is  open  to  the  church ;  no 
such  important  field  has  been  given  us  to  cultivate  ;  no  field 
will  yield  larger  results  ;  no  field  is  more  neglected ;  no  field 
cries  louder  for  help.  Brethren,  it  is  a  heavenly  visitor  and 
has  cried  long  and  loud ;  will  we  heed  or  will  we  turn  the  deaf 
ear  ?  Mr.  Spurgeon  once  said,  "  It  is  not  so  much  a  question 
as  to  whether  the  heathen  will  be  saved  if  they  do  not  have  the 
Gospel,  but  whether  we  will  be  saved  if  we  do  not  send  them 
the  Gospel."  It  is  not  so  much  a  question  of  the  rural  dis- 
tricts needing  our  help,  but  the  church  at  large  needing  the 
help  from  the  rural  districts. — E.  L.  Buchanan. 


XII 

A  PLEA  FOR  RURAL  EVANGELISM 

BY  evangelism  we  mean  the  effective 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the  unsaved. 
This  includes  not  only  winning  of  peo- 
ple to  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  but  also  winning 
them  to  His  service.  By  rural  evangelism  we 
mean  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  its  broadest 
significance  to  the  people  who  live  in  country 
districts.  This  will,  of  course,  mean  evangelism 
in  those  communities  where  churches  are  main- 
tained ;  those  where  church-houses  now  exist 
but  without  regular  services  ;  those  where  there 
are  only  schoolhouses  ;  in  fact,  wherever  people 
live  outside  of  our  cities  and  towns. 

There  is  not  so  much  evangeUstic  work  done 
in  the  country  now  as  formerly.  This  is  largely 
because  in  recent  years  the  great  bulk  of  popu- 
lation has  been  drifting  to  the  towns  and  cities 
and  we  have  followed  the  crowd  with  our  relig- 
ious efforts,  and  have  thus  left  the  country  peo- 
ple to  wrestle  with  religious  problems.  The 
history  of  our  country,  including  a  history  of  the 
progress  of  Christianity,  has  been  largely  a  reci- 
tal of  events  connected  with  the  development  of 
a  great  "  continental  wilderness  "  ;  only  in  recent 
245 


246  Normal  Evangelism 

years  have  the  cities  and  towns  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  nation's  affairs.  The  future  is 
likely  to  write  history  differently  since  the  greater 
part  of  our  people  will  be  soon  living  in  the 
cities.  The  proportion  of  population  living  in 
cities  of  8,000  or  more  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  in  1901  was  40.40  per  cent.  According 
to  the  diagram  submitted  by  Dr.  Josiah  Strong 
in  "  The  Challenge  of  the  Cities,"  it  will  be  but  a 
short  time  until  the  majority  of  the  people  in 
our  country  will  be  living  in  the  cities.  This 
means  a  growth  intellectually  and  commercially, 
but  not  necessarily  a  corresponding  growth 
morally  and  religiously. 

The  city  and  the  nation  at  large  needs  the  good 
influence  which  it  may  receive  from  the  country. 
The  world  owes  a  great  debt  to  the  country  peo- 
ple. Not  only  is  the  world  supplied  with  its 
chief  necessities  in  food  and  raiment  from  the 
products  of  the  farm,  but  it  owes  much  to  the 
country  from  the  moral  and  rehgious  standpoint. 
In  all  great  issues,  poHtical  and  social,  where 
moral  principles  are  involved,  the  country  people 
are  usually  found  to  be  on  the  right  side.  The 
influence  of  the  people  from  rural  districts  may 
be  reckoned  from  the  fact  that  many  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  city  are  found  to  have  been 
country  boys.  The  rise  of  the  country  boy  from 
some  obscure  place  to  a  position  of  prominence 
and  power  is  a  story  that  can  be  repeated  many 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      247 

times  over.  You  will  find  the  country  boy  mak- 
ing a  success  in  all  the  walks  of  life,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  he  has  often  been  held  up  to  ridi- 
cule by  his  city  cousin.  Our  nation  will  sustain 
a  loss  when  there  are  no  longer  country  boys 
to  take  the  places  now  occupied  by  men  who 
spent  their  early  life  in  the  country. 

The  importance  of  the  country  church  as  a  fac- 
tor in  the  making  of  our  nation  must  not  be  lost 
sight    of.      Our    Baptist    people    have    always 
thrived   in   the   country.      Their  success  began 
there,  but  it  did  not  end  there.     Although  for 
many  years  Baptists  shrank  from  entering   the 
cities  they  are  fast  becoming  the  largest,  wealth- 
iest, and  most  influential  among  the  city  churches. 
In  not  a  few  instances  the  strength  of  our  large 
city  churches  consists   of  men  and  women  who 
have  moved  in  from  the  country.     It  is  thought 
by  many  that  more  than  ninety  per  cent,  of  our 
Baptist  preachers  come  from   the  country  and 
small  towns.     These  country  churches  have  not 
only  furnished  pastors  but  missionaries,  deacons, 
Sunday-school  teachers  and  substantial  contribu- 
tors.    The  question  arises  :     What  will  many  of 
our  city  churches  do  if  the  aid  they  have  been 
receiving  from  country  churches  be  cut  off?   But 
another  question    is    claiming   our   interest  just 
now  :     What  will  become  of  many  of  our  coun- 
try churches  if  those  of  the  city  and  town  do  not 
come  to  their  rescue  ? 


248  Normal  Evangelism 

Much  is  being  thought  and  said  about  the 
problems  of  the  city,  but  we  hear  very  httle  of 
the  problems  of  the  country  at  the  present  time. 
A  great  deal  of  interest  is  taken  in  rescue  work, 
slumming  parties,  and  evangelistic  campaigns  in 
the  destitute  portions  of  the  city,  but  no  one 
ever  thinks  of  doing  a  similar  work  for  those 
country  districts  where  there  is  little  or  no  relig- 
ious influence  around  the  people.  This  condi- 
tion prevails  in  many  country  districts  where  one 
would  not  expect  it.  Not  infrequently  do  you 
find  communities  where  once  there  was  a  strong 
flourishing  country  church,  but  in  the  lapse  of 
years  conditions  have  so  changed  that  in  many 
instances  there  is  only  once  a  month  preaching, 
and  that  during  the  summer  months,  or  perhaps 
no  religious  service  at  all — not  even  a  Sunday- 
school.     This  leads  us  first  to  consider : 

I.    The  problems  of  rural  evangelism. 

(i)  The  jpeojple  have  moved  and  are  moving 
away.  It  is  thought  by  many  that  farm  life  has 
little  attractions  except  for  the  people  who  have 
experienced  none  of  it.  A  great  majority  of  our 
country  people  have  a  longing  for  the  life  of  the 
town  and  city.  They  dream  of  the  day  when 
they  shall  be  "  able  to  move  to  town."  They 
think  that  they  have  a  hard  time  in  the  country,but 
imagine  that  everything  will  be  smooth  saihng  in 
town.  They  thus  come  to  disdain  farm  life  and 
magnify  the  advantages  of  the  village,  town,  and 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      249 

city.  Soon  we  see  the  old  home  place  in  posses- 
sion of  tenants  and  things  are  going  to  ruin. 
This  transformation  works  a  hardship  on  the 
country  church,  school,  and  every  interest  of  the 
community  and  even  the  value  of  property  de- 
preciates, for  no  one  of  culture  and  means  cares 
to  move  into  a  vicinity  where  the  bone  and  sinew 
of  the  populace  have  moved  away. 

(2)  Scanty  support  is  offered  to  pastors.    While 
it  is  true  that  many  country  churches  have  lost 
materially  in   membership,  thus    rendering    the 
burden  heavier  on  the  few,  yet  in  most  cases  they 
could  do  better  if  they  would  only  think  so.    The 
farmer  is  prone  to  look  on  the  sombre  side  of 
things  and  one  of  his  chief  assets  for  despondency 
is  in  imagining  himself  poor.      One  reason  for 
this,  however,  is  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  he 
handles  less  money  in  proportion  to  his  wealth 
than  any  other  class  of  business  men.     Because 
he   does    not   see  all   the    money  he  makes  he 
thinks    he  hasn't  it  at  all  and,  therefore,   gives 
sparingly.     A  man  worth  several  thousand  dollars 
will  give  ten  and  twenty-five  dollars  a  year  to 
church  expenses  and  think  he  has  done  wonders 
when  a  wage  earner  or  one  on  a  small  salary  in 
a  city  church  would  give  several  times  that  amount. 
There  is  much  need  for  patience  and  training  in 
stewardship  among  our  country  churches. 

(3)     The   shifting   classes   in   many   sections 
present  a  very  difficult  problem.     They  are  rather 


250  Normal  Evangelism 

perplexing  "  to  have  and  to  hold "  as  far  as 
religious  training  and  development  are  concerned. 
They  do  not  remain  in  one  place  long  enough 
for  church  people  to  do  them  any  good.  They 
are  shifting  and  shiftless  and  hke  some  preachers 
— never  so  happy  as  when  "  on  the  move." 
With  an  abhorrence  of  any  kind  of  responsibility 
it  is  difficult  to  make  them  feel  any  religious  need 
or  duty.  Their  irresponsiveness  and  apparent 
ingratitude  are  often  a  bar  to  effort  on  the  part 
of  the  more  substantial  people.  For  example,  a 
kind-hearted  Christian  woman  who  is  solicitous  as 
to  the  welfare  of  a  certain  poor  family  determines 
that  she  will  do  something  for  them,  and  will 
gather  together  a  respectable  "  outfit "  for  the 
whole  family  in  order  that  they  may  go  to  church. 
Their  new  possessions  afford  an  occasion  for 
making  a  long-cherished  visit  to  their  kinspeople 
in  an  adjacent  neighbourhood  the  following 
Sunday.  They  thus  prove  a  disappointment  to 
their  would-be  benefactor  and  the  experiment, 
perhaps,  will  not  be  repeated.  Yet  we  must 
seek  to  do  them  good  for  their  sakes  and  ours, 
for  if  they  are  not  helped  in  some  way  they  are 
likely  to  fill  our  jails  with  criminals  and  otherwise 
menace  the  community.  "  For  ye  have  the  poor 
always  with  you,  and  whensover  ye  will  ye  can 
do  them  good  "  (Mark  xiv.  7). 

(4)     Closely  related  to  the  foregoing  problem 
is  that  of  social  inequality.     The  landlord  and 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      251 

the  tenant  are  never  socially  equal.  It  cannot 
be  so  from  the  nature  of  things.  The  two  classes 
are  like  water  and  oil — they  can  never  mix 
socially.  The  social  reformer  who  attempts  to 
remedy  this  condition  will  likely  fail.  The  love 
of  Jesus  will  come  nearer  breaking  down  the 
wall  of  prejudice  between  the  two  classes  than 
any  other  power  on  earth.  A  more  friendly 
relationship  is  possible  but  social  equahty  is  not. 
Many  of  the  tenant  class  are  substantial,  thrifty, 
reliable  people,  and  in  many  communities  they 
are  fast  becoming  the  landowners.  Many  of  the 
younger  generation  are  capable  of  becoming 
leaders  in  church  work  with  proper  training.  But 
here  is  one  difficulty:  the  remaining  families  of  the 
erstwhile  aristocracy  are  inclined  to  frown  down 
upon  those  of  the  tenant  class  who  might  be  put 
forward  as  leaders  by  the  church.  This  should 
not  be  tolerated  because,  in  the  first  place,  it  is 
contrary  to  the  spirit  of  Jesus ;  and  again,  the 
development  of  these  as  leaders  is  the  only  hope 
of  many  a  country  church.  We  need  to  learn 
that  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  there  is  neither 
landlord  nor  tenant,  master  nor  servant,  but  all 
are  one  in  Christ. 

(5)  Conservatisin  is  too  frequently  a  bar  to 
progress  of  any  kind  among  rural  people.  They 
are  opposed  to  •'  new-fangled  "  ideas  of  any  sort. 
Like  the  ultra-conservatism  of  Peter,  "  I  never 
have,"  serves  as  a  perfectly  satisfactory  excuse 


252  Normal  Evangelism 

for  not  attempting  anything  new.  It  is  true  in 
their  methods  of  farming  and  in  their  methods 
of  church  work.  Many  a  farmer  is  content  to 
hold  on  to  old  ways  and  ideas,  making  only  a 
scanty  support  for  his  family,  when  by  informing 
himself  as  to  the  most  profitable  crops  his  par- 
ticular soil  would  produce  and  as  to  the  best 
methods  of  cultivation  he  could  easily  enrich 
himself  by  thousands  of  dollars  per  year.  It  is 
an  exceedingly  hopeful  sign  that  in  many  sections 
of  our  country  farmers  are  becoming  more  aggres- 
sive. 

Many  a  country  church  has  died  or  is  in  the 
process  of  dying  simply  because  the  people 
became  married  to  their  old  ways  of  doing 
things.  A  brother  said  that  in  a  certain  country 
Sunday-school  the  only  change  he  could  remem- 
ber in  thirty  years  was  that  formerly  the  children 
all  came  forward  to  receive  their  Sunday-school 
papers  from  the  superintendent,  whereas  more 
recently  the  papers  were  distributed  to  the  classes 
during  the  lesson.  It  is  time  that  our  country 
churches  begin  to  awake  from  their  long  night 
of  conservatism  and  put  on  the  armour  of  Hght. 
Some  of  them  are  doing  it  and  a  new  day  has 
dawned  for  them.  What  a  power  for  good  in 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  would  our  country 
churches  become  if  they  were  all  awake,  active, 
and  aggressive  !  The  only  type  of  evangelism 
known   to   the   New   Testament   is  that   which 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      253 

trains  believers  for  service.  This  is  the  kind  of 
evangelism  needed  in  our  country  churches  to- 
day. 

(6)  The  annual  revival^  or  more  specifically, 
the  jprotracted  meeting^  has  its  good  and  bad 
effects  upon  the  hfe  of  the  country  church.  It 
does  good  in  that  there  is,  at  least,  a  temporary 
quickening  of  the  spiritual  life  of  the  people  and 
because  a  special  effort  is  made  to  reach  the 
unsaved.  These  are  certainly  worthy  ends— the 
highest  ends  for  which  a  redeemed  soul  can 
strive ;  but  the  fault  lies  in  the  fact  that  practi- 
cally all  efforts  in  this  direction  cease  with  the 
revival.  The  revival  serves  a  good  purpose  but 
when  it  is  relied  on  to  do  more  than  it  is  intended 
to  do  it  becomes  a  hindrance.  It  cannot  be 
made  to  do  the  chief  service  for  the  community 
religiously  for  fifty-two  weeks  in  the  year.  Too 
much  dependence  on  the  periodic  revival  has 
been  the  bane  of  many  a  rural  church.  We 
must  not  cease  to  have  the  revival  but  we  must 
seek  to  have  the  revival  spirit  always  present  in 
our  regular  work.  Pastoral  leadership  in  evangel- 
ism and  a  deeper  conviction  among  pastors  and 
people  in  regard  to  these  things  will  work  a 
revolution  in  all  our  church  activities. 

2.     Needs  in  rural  evangelism. 

(i)  The  people  need  to  be  taught  new  ideals 
of  living.  Farming  can  be  made  both  profitable 
and  pleasurable  but  most  country  people  do  not 


254  Normal  Evangelism 

think  so.  Farming  is  bound  to  be  profitable  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  world  must  live  chiefly 
from  the  products  of  the  soil.  If  farming  should 
cease  altogether  the  world  would  soon  be  on  its 
knees  begging  for  bread.  The  world  must  be 
fed  and  clothed  and  the  farmer  must  do  it.  The 
farmer  who  lives  within  his  means,  is  wide  awake 
and  aggressive,  will  make  farming  pay.  Let  the 
farmer  be  content  to  stay  on  the  farm  and  not 
look  longingly  towards  the  city.  A  contented 
spirit  is  half  the  battle.  Let  him  build  to  stay 
and  then  he  is  likely  to  stay.  Let  him  beautify 
his  home  and  make  his  improvements  substantial. 
With  all  our  modern  inventions  it  is  possible  to 
make  a  country  home  as  comfortable  and  delight- 
ful as  any  city  home.  With  the  present  systems 
of  mail  and  telephone  service,  with  improved 
roads,  good  horses  and  carriages,  and  automobiles, 
and — we  dare  not  scout  at  the  possibilities  of  the 
air-ship — with  all  these  and  more  to  come  there  is 
no  reason  why  the  farm  should  not  be  the  most 
delightful  of  all  places  to  live. 

The  fact  that  farming  is  both  profitable  and 
pleasurable  may  be  seen  from  the  present  tend- 
ency of  the  wealthy  from  the  cities  to  move  to 
the  country.  The  prosperous  farmer  works  away 
with  the  hope  that  as  soon  as  he  is  able  he  will 
move  to  the  city  and  enjoy  life  ;  while  the  pros- 
perous business  man  in  the  city  toils  away  with 
the  hope   that   some  day   he  will  move  to  the 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      255 

country  and  enjoy  life.  The  country  man  finds 
it  profitable  and  the  city  man  finds  it  pleasurable. 
Now  when  the  farmer  has  made  enough  to  move 
to  town  and  hve  in  comfort,  if  he  would  turn 
around  and  make  his  home  attractive  and  home- 
like and  would  introduce  new  methods  and  ap- 
pHances  for  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  his  home 
and  farm  Hfe  he  would  indeed  be  a  happy  and 
useful  man  in  that  community.  Let  him  not 
only  do  this  for  himself  but  let  him  take  an 
interest  in  those  things  which  are  for  the  public 
good.  Let  him  make  it  his  business  to  see  that 
the  community  has  good  schools  and  school 
buildings,  good  roads  and  bridges,  good  church- 
houses,  in  fact,  in  everything  that  is  for  his 
neighbour's  good  and  his  own  let  him  take  an 
active  interest  and  support  these  with  his  in- 
fluence and  his  pocketbook.  Let  him  be  public 
spirited,  open  minded,  large  hearted,  industrious, 
contented,  and,  above  all,  let  him  have  an  un- 
shaken faith  in  God  and  a  sincere  love  for  his 
fellow  man  and  the  blessings  of  heaven  are 
vouchsafed  unto  him. 

The  cry,  "  Back  to  the  farm,"  has  not  come 
too  soon.  Let  us  hail  it  joyfully.  Let  us  en- 
courage it  by  every  possible  means.  "  But  what 
has  all  this  to  do  with  rural  evangelism  ?  "  it  may 
be  asked.  "  Much  every  way."  When  the  farmer 
prospers  not  only  is  the  world  benefited  com- 
mercially   but    religiously.     The    giving    of  the 


256  Normal  Evangelism 

Gospel  to  the  rural  people  will  mean  a  great  re- 
ligious awakening  for  the  whole  nation,  and  who 
shall  not  say,  for  the  whole  world.  With  a  new 
interest  in  farm  life,  with  a  closer  appHcation  and 
a  better  use  of  modern  inventions  which  the 
ever  alert  mind  of  man  has  invented,  and  with 
an  increased  zeal  for  God  among  our  rural 
people,  surely  we  may  confidently  hope  for  the 
fulfillment  of  the  prophecy,  "  The  wilderness 
and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them  : 
the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose  " 
(Isa.  XXXV.  i). 

(2)  Moi'e  well-equipped  preacJiers  should 
settle  as  pastors  in  rural  communities.  The 
non-resident  pastor  with  once-a-month  preach- 
ing will  never  solve  the  problem  of  rural  evangel- 
ism. It  is  said  by  our  missionaries  in  foreign 
fields  that  one  difficulty  they  have  with  native 
pastors  is  that  they  do  not  want  to  locate  in  the 
country  and  smaller  towns.  They  seem  to  esteem 
it  an  honour  to  be  pastor  in  a  great  city.  Thus 
the  rural  fields  are  discriminated  against  abroad 
as  well  as  at  home.  How  many  of  the  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  ministerial  students  in  our 
colleges  and  seminaries  are  now  looking  towards 
a  country  field  ?  They  fancy  that  in  the  great 
cities  people  are  all  but  dying  to  hear  them 
preach  and  when  they  once  get  there  they  feel 
like  dying  themselves  because  the  people  do  not 
want  to  hear  them  preach.     The  city  needs  the 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      257 

Gospel,  of  course,  but  the  country  and  smaller 
towns  need  it  too.  There  is  too  much  crowding 
towards  the  cities  and  the  preachers  are  in  the 
thickest  of  the  jam.  A  great  many  of  them 
ought  to  be  there.  Thank  God  for  those  who 
are  there  because  God  put  them  there.  Many 
are  doing  splendid  work  there  because  they  re- 
ceived their  training  in  more  hmited  fields. 
Would  that  more  of  our  younger  ministers 
planned  for  long  pastorates  in  the  country  and 
would  not  make  our  country  churches  simply 
stepping-stones  to  what  they  imagine  to  be 
higher  places  ! 

The  rural  communities  need  educated, 
thoroughly  quaHfied  ministers.  Away  with  the 
idea  that  just  anybody  will  do  for  the  country ! 
Some  country  churches  have  more  college 
graduates  among  their  membership  than  have 
many  city  churches  of  the  same  size.  One 
thing  that  will  stimulate  people  to  desire  to 
remain  in  the  country  is  permanent  pastors  who 
are  capable  of  instructing  them  in  all  religious 
truth  and  in  leading  them  in  every  department 
of  church  work.  Let  him  live  among  the  people, 
minister  to  their  needs,  and  identify  himself  with 
their  every  interest.  The  country  pastorate 
offers  the  best  opportunity  for  study. 

It  is  often  stated  as  an  objection  to  living  in  the 
country  that  the  schools  are  inadequate.  But  if 
the  preacher  is  what  he  ought  to  be  and  has  the 


258  Normal  Evangelism 

interests  of  the  people  at  heart  he  will  soon  have 
a  school  good  enough  for  any  boy  or  girl. 
After  a  good  many  years  of  observation  it  is  my 
candid  opinion  th^t  most  of  the  boys  and  girls 
who  "  go  away  to  school  "  go  too  soon.  A  good 
school  in  a  community  will  have  a  tendency  to 
hold  the  people  together  and  the  preacher  is 
likely  to  remain  longer  himself.  And  if  no 
better  arrangement  can  be  made  the  preacher 
should  himself  be  qualified  to  enter  the  school- 
room and  help  to  teach.  We  need  all-round 
preachers  in  the  country.  A  Methodist  church 
once  sent  this  request  to  the  bishop :  "  Please 
send  us  a  preacher  that  can  swim.  The  last  one 
you  sent  us  got  drowned  while  trying  to  cross 
the  creek  when  it  was  up."  Our  country 
churches  need  preachers  who  can  swim — those 
who  are  prepared  for  every  emergency. 

(3)  Among  our  own  people  there  is  need  for 
cooperation  mnong  coicntry  churches,  including 
those  of  smaller  towns,  in  locating  and  support- 
ing pastors.  The  non-resident  pastor  is  unable 
to  cope  with  the  problems  of  the  country  church. 
There  must  be  a  close  hand-to-hand  struggle 
with  the  needs  of  the  rural  field  before  those 
needs  can  be  supplied.  We  have  not  yet  learned 
*'  the  fine  art  of  living  together  "  and  working 
together  to  the  best  advantage.  Where  one 
church  cannot  support  a  pastor  for  full  time  two 
churches  ought  to  be  able  to  work  together,  for 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      259 

example,  and  buy  a  plot  of  ground  at  a  con- 
venient distance  from  the  two  churches,  build  a 
home  for  the  pastor,  making  it  attractive  with 
every  comfort  that  a  modern  country  home 
could  have,  then  unite  in  locating  a  good  pastor 
to  serve  them.  Independence  is  a  fine  thing,  but 
cooperation  is  better.  Many  of  our  country 
churches  have  gone  to  seed  on  church  and  indi- 
vidual independence.  Is  it  not  better  to  work 
together  and  live  than  to  exist  separately  and 
die  ?  We  need  pastors  who  have  the  ability  and 
patience  to  lead  their  people  in  such  enterprises. 

Many  pastors  could  save  the  day  for  the  coun- 
try church  they  are  serving,  or  might  be  called  to 
serve,  if  they  would  but  lay  themselves  out  to 
perform  the  task.  Let  no  young  pastor  who 
contemplates  the  country  pastorate  be  deceived 
into  thinking  that  he  will  be  cut  short  in  his 
development  as  a  preacher  or  that  his  powers 
shall  be  stunted  in  their  growth  if  he  Hves  and 
preaches  in  the  country.  If  so,  let  him  remember 
Elijah,  Amos,  and  John  the  Baptist — these 
country  preachers  of  the  long-ago — at  whose 
word  kings  were  made  to  tremble  on  their  thrones 
and  by  whose  force  of  character  the  tide  of 
worldliness  was  turned  backward  and  the  affairs 
of  nations  were  changed.  Let  no  man  despise 
the  work  he  may  do  or  the  life  of  usefulness  he 
may  live  while  serving  in  a  country  pastorate. 

(4)     We  must  have  hetter  equijpped  houses  of 


26o  Normal  Evangelism 

worship  if  we  would  do  better  work.  The 
average  church  building  in  the  country  is  built 
with  about  as  much  architectural  display  as  is 
shown  in  the  construction  of  an  ordinary  barn — 
except  that  the  barn  is  designed  for  comfort  and 
convenience  while  the  church-house  has  neither. 
The  great  oblong  building  vi^ith  a  few  windows, 
two  flues,  two  big  iron  stoves  that  will  blister 
your  face  while  your  feet  freeze,  a  few  hard 
pews,  with  a  platform  in  one  end,  is  not  a  house 
of  worship  but  simply  a  makeshift.  There  is 
absolutely  nothing  that  produces  a  religious  feel- 
ing or  awakens  the  sense  of  worship.  "  Oh  !  our 
religion  is  spiritual  and  not  dependent  on  ex- 
ternals ! "  you  say.  True,  but  we  are  not  plead- 
ing for  pictures  and  images,  and  twaddy  tinsel. 
We  are  pleading  for  that  same  taste  and  care 
which  you  manifest  in  the  adornment  of  your 
homes  and  in  the  choice  of  your  wearing  apparel. 
A  church-house  is  dedicated  to  the  worship  of 
God  and  it  should  be  at  least  an  expression  of 
our  estimate  of  Him  in  so  far  as  we  are  able.  It 
is  not  so  much  a  question  of  money  as  a  ques- 
tion of  correct  ideas  that  we  need.  Let  us  get 
hold  of  the  right  ideas  and  have  the  right  spirit 
and  the  money  with  which  to  do  these  things  is 
likely  to  come. 

The  church  building  should  be  made  to  meet 
all  the  religious  and,  in  a  measure,  the  social 
needs  of  the  church  and  community.     It  should 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      261 

have,  therefore,  not  only  a  comfortable,  well- 
arranged  auditorium,  but  class-rooms  for  the 
Sunday-school,  and  one  room  at  least  large 
enough  for  prayer-meeting,  missionary  meetings, 
young  people's  meetings,  and  social  gatherings. 
The  very  fact  that  you  have  these  things  will  be 
an  encouragement  to  attempt  greater  things  for 
the  Lord.  We  need  new  Ufe  and  new  blood  in 
our  churches.  We  must  enhst  our  young  people 
or  suffer  an  irreparable  loss.  Let  us  teach  our 
young  people  that  they  can  be  happy  in  the 
service  of  Christ  and  then  perhaps  we  shall  not 
be  so  much  grieved  because  of  their  apparent 
worldliness.  Let  us  be  diligent  to  show  unto 
them  a  "  more  excellent  way  "  and  we,  as  well  as 
they,  shall  find  a  blessing. 

(5)  The  country  churches  must  have  Tieljp 
from  those  of  the  town  and  city.  Do  the 
churches  of  the  town  arid  city  realize  their  debt 
to  the  country  churches  ?  If  we  compare  the 
amount  of  good  they  have  received  with  the 
amount  of  good  they  have  done  for  the  country 
church  then  we  may  conclude  that  they  have 
not  realized  their  debt.  A  brother  writes  very 
beautifully  in  one  of  our  religious  papers  about 
"  the  problem  of  the  country  church,"  saying 
that  it  is  "  the  source  from  which  the  town  and 
city  churches  must  expect  a  large  part  of  their 
working  force";  further,  "the  country  church 
should  not  complain  on  account  of  the  loss  of 


262  Normal  Evangelism 

members  who  move  to  the  city."  But  there  is 
not  one  hint  as  to  the  obligation  which  these 
city  churches  bear  to  the  weak  country  churches. 
This  is  characteristic  of  the  attitude  of  the  city 
church  to  that  of  the  country.  It  is  as  much  as 
to  say,  "  Just  keep  on  sending  us  your  good 
material.  You  ought  to  rejoice  that  you  have 
given  us  so  much.  We  do  rejoice  that  we  have 
gotten  so  much.  Now  do  not  complain.  Give 
us  all  you  have  and  then  die,  if  you  haven't  any- 
thing else  to  do.  Perhaps  we  can  hve  without 
you  by  that  time.  You  have  done  much  for 
us  but  don't  expect  anything  from  us." 

Of  course,  our  city  brethren  do  not  mean  to 
be  unjust  towards  their  country  neighbours  but 
they  are  not  in  full  sympathy  with  our  many 
struggling  country  churches.  The  words  of  Dr. 
J.  W.  Porter,  editor  of  The  Western  Recorder ^ 
Louisville,  have  the  right  ring  when  he  says : 
"  In  this  restless,  rapidly  changing  age,  the  coun- 
try church  has  a  most  difficult  task.  The 
changes  going  on  in  rural  life — the  moving  pop- 
ulation to  the  towns  and  cities — the  transfor- 
mation of  the  people,  of  the  business,  the  man- 
ners, the  social  life  of  the  country — all  these 
things  have  shaken  the  very  foundations  of  our 
country  churches  and  they  need  the  help  and 
sympathy,  and  prayers  of  our  entire  brother- 
hood." These  words  come  with  peculiar  force 
when  we  remember  that  their  author  is  pastor 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      263 

of  one  of  the  largest  city  churches  in  our  South- 
land. A  spirit  like  this  in  all  our  city  pastors 
and  church-members  would  soon  bring  about  a 
better  day  for  the  country  church. 

It  will  be  well  for  our  churches  of  the  city  and 
town  when  they  come  to  exercise  a  little  genuine 
reciprocity  with  reference  to  their  country  neigh- 
bours. It  is  true  they  have  their  hands  full  of 
tasks  already.  Some  are  dealing  with  the  slum 
problem  and  are  waging  an  almost  hopeless 
warfare  against  ignorance,  dirt,  and  sin ;  "  this 
they  ought  to  have  done  and  not  to  have  left  the 
other  undone."  But  you  may  rub,  scrub,  teach, 
and  praise  a  "  Dago  "  and  he  is  a  "  Dago  "  still. 
He  moves,  mentally  and  physically,  in  a  very 
small  world.  He  is  not  able  to  think  beyond  a 
few  quick  bargains  and  as  many  shining  dimes. 
Of  course,  he  has  a  soul  and  needs  a  Saviour  and 
we  ought  to  try  to  reach  and  help  him.  But 
what  of  the  poor  boy  in  the  country  ?  He  has  a 
healthy  body,  a  clear  brain,  an  alert  mind,  and  a 
soul  that  is  hungering  and  thirsting  for  higher 
things.  He  wants  to  be  something  and  looks 
with  longing  eyes  upon  a  world  of  possibility  be- 
fore him.  Will  you  not  go  out  and  hunt  him 
up  and  do  something  for  him  ?  He  will  one  day 
rise  up  and  call  you  blessed. 

(6)  An  excellent  way  to  do  effective  evangel- 
istic work  in  rural  churches  is  to  hold  simultane- 
ous revivals.     This  affords  an  excellent  oppor- 


264  Normal  Evangelism 

tunity  for  cooperation  between  churches  of  the 
city  and  towns  with  those  of  the  country.  Why 
not  include  country  churches  in  our  simultaneous 
evangelistic  campaigns  ?  Or  we  might  inaugu- 
rate such  campaigns  wholly  within  the  country, 
holding  services  in  the  churches,  schoolhouses 
and  homes  of  the  people.  Our  country  churches 
should  be  recognized,  encouraged,  and  assisted 
in  work  of  this  kind.  But  when  town  and  city 
people  go  to  aid  country  people  in  religious 
work  they  must  first  allay  all  suspicion  that  they 
are  coming  simply  for  selfish  ends.  I  have 
known  of  cases  where  pastors  and  their  people 
were  very  attentive  to  certain  members  of 
country  churches,  but  such  attentions  do  not 
usually  result  in  any  good  to  the  country  church — 
rather  a  transfer  of  membership  from  the  country 
church  to  one  in  the  city  or  town  as  the  case  may 
be. 

Let  the  town  and  city  people  prove  their  in- 
terest in  their  country  neighbours  first  by  mak- 
ing some  sacrifice  in  their  behalf.  They  can  do 
much  to  arouse  their  latent  energies.  They  can 
help  them  to  have  a  more  attractive  place  of 
worship ;  they  can  pay  a  part  of  the  pastor's 
salary  in  order  that  they  have  services  oftener  or 
perhaps  secure  a  more  efficient  pastor ;  they  can 
go  out  and  aid  them  in  person  in  their  Sunday- 
schools  and  evangelistic  services  ;  but  they  should 
not  go  in  the  spirit  of  condescension.     Let  them 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      265 

take  off  their  kid  gloves,  silk  hats,  and  city  man- 
ners, and  come  down  to  a  common  level  with  the 
people  if  they  would  win  their  confidence  and  do 
them  good.  Interest  in  their  welfare  must  be 
real  and  if  there  be  any  sham  they  are  quick  to 
detect  it.  There  is  a  great  work  to  be  done  in 
these  rural  districts  and  the  Christian  people  of 
the  city  and  town  can  be  of  great  assistance  if 
they  will  only  awake  to  their  duty.  "  Lift  up 
your  eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields,  that  they  are 
white  already  unto  harvest  "  (John  iv.  35). 

3.     Advantages  in  rural  evangelism. 

(i)  Country  people,  as  d,  x\x\q,  apj^reciate  the 
Gosjpel.  One  of  the  traditional  sayings  of  Dr.  J. 
A.  Broadus  is  :  "  When  you  go  to  the  city  take 
your  best  coat.  When  you  go  to  the  country 
take  your  best  sermon."  The  saying  is  not  with- 
out significance  and  the  country  people  are 
complimented  by  the  statement.  They  like  to 
hear  the  Gospel  in  its  purity — unalloyed  with 
worldly  wisdom  and  pedantic  display.  They  care 
nothing  about  the  new-fangled  theological  notions 
of  the  present  day.  It  is  a  matter  of  little  concern 
with  them  as  to  what  constitutes  the  priestly  code 
of  the  Pentateuch ;  as  to  whether  Isaiah  were 
twins  ;  or  as  to  whether  the  whale  swallowed 
Jonah ;  this  they  do  know  :  the  Word  of  God  as 
it  is  meets  the  utmost  need  of  the  soul  and  that 
is  sufficient.  Nowhere  in  all  the  world  will  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  meet  a  more  hearty  re- 


266  Normal  Evangelism 

sponsQ  than  among  rural  people.  Therefore, 
they  should  have  more  preaching  and  better 
preaching. 

(2)  Wormal  evangelisin  will  have  its  weight 
in  rural  communities.  For  the  most  part,  they 
know  nothing  of  the  sensationalism  and  profes- 
sionalism such  as  is  known  in  cities  and  larger 
towns.  The  country  has  not  been  invaded  by 
the  professional  evangelist  of  the  questionable 
kind.  There  he  cannot  stir  up  excitement,  draw 
big  crowds,  and  gather  large  collections.  There 
the  people  have  too  much  sense  to  be  tricked  by 
clap-trap  methods.  There  they  are  usually  satis- 
fied with  an  earnest  presentation  of  the  gospel 
message  with  reliance  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
perform  the  work  of  regeneration.  The  Methodist 
bishop  who  advised  every  boy  to  be  born  in  the 
country  might  have  been  a  little  more  practical 
had  he  advised  every  young  preacher  to  begin 
his  labours  in  the  country.  There  he  will  have  a 
sympathetic  hearing.  There  will  he  find  a  hospi- 
tality which  will  refresh  his  spirit.  There  he  will 
escape  the  pruning  knife  of  criticism  which  so 
often  cuts  away  individuality.  There  he  will 
have  a  freedom  of  utterance  so  essential  to  the 
success  of  every  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  There 
he  is  most  likely  to  reap  a  harvest  of  precious 
souls.  Let  the  young  preacher  covet  the  privi- 
lege of  preaching  a  great  deal  in  the  country. 
He  will  not  only  do  great  good  there  but  he  will 


A  Plea  for  Rural  Evangelism      267 

receive  great  good.  No  minister  can  have  a 
well-rounded  experience  until  he  has  served  as 
pastor  of  a  country  church. 

(3)     The  results  of  rural  evangelism  are  last- 
ing.    The  people  never  forget  a  good  meeting 
or  a  good  sermon.     You  can  hold  a  few  days' 
meeting  in  a  country  church  and  then  go  back 
years  afterwards  and  find  some  fruits  of  it.     Often 
it   is   that   great  "  revivals "    are   held   in  cities 
where  a  few  months  afterwards  scarcely  any  trace 
of  it  can  be  found.     Such  is  not  the  case  with 
revivals  in  the  country.     Of  course,  much  of  this 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  people  are  more  per- 
manently located— at  least  in  some  country  dis- 
tricts.    Even  with  the  many  changes  going  on 
there  are  some  who  remain.     This  gives  a  per- 
manency to  the  work  which  is  not  the  case  with 
many  town  and  city  fields.     This  is  true  especially 
where  pastors  are  located  in  the  country.     The 
lasting  results  of  rural  evangelism  are  shown  from 
the  fact  that  most  of  our  preachers  were  brought  up 
under  the  influence  of  the  country  Sunday-school 
and   church   and   were   converted   to   the  Lord 
there.     This   is  true  of  many  others  who  have 
been   and    are   now   indispensable   in   Christian 

service. 

The  rural  communities  are  calling  to  us  for  aid 
from  every  quarter.  Some  are  calling  by  their 
ignorance,  sin,  and  lawlessness  ;  some  by  their 
struggling  efforts  to  keep  the  work  going ;  some 


268  Normal  Evangelism 

by  their  destitution  and  neglect.  One  of  the 
most  pathetic  scenes  that  meets  one's  vision  any- 
where is  to  witness  an  old  time-honoured  church - 
house  about  whose  door  and  within  whose  walls 
throngs  of  people  once  gathered  to  worship  God 
but  now  they  stand  only  a  mute  monument  as  to 
what  they  have  been.  The  doors  are  rarely  open 
for  religious  services  and  the  community  is  suffer- 
ing from  spiritual  dearth.  Who  will  go  and 
*♦  build  the  old  waste  places  "  ?  Will  not  many 
rise  up  and  say,  "  Here  am  I ;  send  me "  ? 
Through  you  may  be  realized  the  promise  of  the 
Lord,  "  For  the  Lord  shall  comfort  Zion  :  He 
will  comfort  all  her  waste  places;  and  He  will 
make  her  wilderness  like  Eden,  and  her  desert 
like  the  garden  of  the  Lord;  joy  and  gladness 
shall  be  found  therein,  thanksgiving,  and  the 
voice  of  melody  "  (Isa.  h.  3). 


ESSAYS,  ADDRESSES,  Etc. 


CHARLES  F.  AKED 

The  Lord's  Prayer 

Its  Meaning  and  Message  To-day.     Net  $i.oo. 

A  series  of  seven  sermons  on  the  Lord's  Prayer  showing 
the  aptness  of  the  requests  to  present  day  life.  It  is  de- 
votional and  expository  and  stimulating,  but  not  exe^etical 
nor  technical.  The  application  to  modern  conditions  is  ex- 
ceptionally good. 

J.  REID  HO  WATT 

The  Next  Life 

lyight  on  the  Worlds  Beyond.     lamo,  cloth,  net  $1.00. 

A  very  practical  discussion  of  the  question  of  life  be- 
yond the  grave — what  can  be  argued  for  it  from  life  and  a 
very  dispassionate  examination  of  what  the  scripture  has 
to  say  on  the  subject  without  reference  to  traditional  theories 
concerning  it.  It  will  be  found  a  most  helpful  and  reassur- 
ing book,  and  will  be  welcomed  by  all  who  honestly  seek 
light. 


R.  A.  TORREY 

The  Holy  Spirit 

As   Revealed  in   the   Scriptures  and   in   Personal   Experience. 
i2mo,  cloth,  net  $1.00 

Dr.  Torrey  has  already  written  upon  this  theme,  but 
never  so  fully  as  in  this  new  volume.  It  will  prove  one  of 
the  author's  most  important  contributions  of  devotional  study. 

JAMES  M,  BUCKLEY 

The  Wrong  and  Peril  of  Woman 

Suffrage     i2mo,  cloth,  net  750. 

"Dedicated  to  men  and  women  who  look  before  they 
leap." 

"Dr.  Buckley  is  dispassionate,  calm  and  sane.  He  pre- 
sents in  permanent  form  some  of  the  most  logical  thoughts 
in  opposition  to  the  clamor  for  suffrage." — Detroit  Free  Press. 

W.  L.  WATKINSON 

The  Fatal  Barter  and  Other  Sermons 

i2mo,   cloth,  net  $i.oo. 
Another  volume  of  sermons  by  the  "preachers*  preacher" 
along   the    lines  he   has   made    so   distinctly   his  own;    rich   in 
illustration  and  quotation  and  both  refreshing  and  illuminat- 
ing. 


ESSAYS,  ADDRESSES,  Etc. 


HENRY  W.  CLARK 

Laws  of  the  Inner  Kingdom 

lamo,  cloth,  net  $1.25. 
^  A  series  of  discriminating  and  profitable  discussions  of 
the  laws,  operative  in  spiritual  life,  by  author  of  "The 
Philosophy  of  Christian  Experience."  Under  Mr.  Clark's 
treatment  the  lavv'S  of  spiritual  life  become  as  distinct  and 
real  as  the  laws  of  physics  or  biology.  At  the  same  time 
there  is  nothing  fanciful  or  forced  in  these  discussions.  It 
there  is  nothing  fanciful  or  forced  in  these  discussions. 

DOREMUS    SCUPPER 

The  Passion  for  Reality 

Net  soc. 

A  discussion  of  the  growing  demand  for  sincerity  in 
every  walk  of  life,  evidencing  broad  culture  and  keen  insight 
on  the  writer's  part.  His  quotations  show  extended  reading 
and  his  observations  wide  experience.  It  is  primarily  a 
young  man's  book  and  deals  with  the  practical  rather  than 
the  theoretical  aspect  of  all  questions. 

PERCY  C.  AINSWORTH 

The  Pilgrim  Church  and  Other  Sermons 

Cloth,  net  $1.25. 

Sir  Robertson  NicoU  says:  "Every  page  and  almost 
every  sentence  is  striking.  It  is  above  all  forthright,  simple 
and  thrusting.  Mr.  Ainsworth's  sermons  have  an  extraord- 
inary reality.  Ihey  are  sagacious  and  often  beautiful,  but 
they  are  more  than  that.  They  have  each  a  central  thought 
unfolding  itself  and  blossoming  out  into  striking  and  often 
profound  reflections.  He  has  seized,  for  example,  the  great 
lessons  of  such  books  as  "Wilhelm  Meister,"  that  we  often 
imagine  we  have  come  to  the  end  of  the  book  when  we  have 
really  come  to  the  end  of  the  first  chapter The  ser- 
mons are  saturated  with  the  true  evangelical  spirit.  This  is 
a  book  which  must  inevitably  find  its  way  into  the  hands 
of  every  preacher  worthy  of  the  name  and  multitudes 
who  are  not  preachers  will  find  in  it  the  help  that  they 
need.      It  is  truly   a  golden  book." 


DEVOTIONAL  STUDY 


What  Jesus  Said 

The  Great  Discourse  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 

i2mo,   cloth,  net  $1.25. 

We  have  red  letter  Bibles  with  the  words  of  Christ  so 
indicated;  we  have  also  unified  Gospels  giving  a  harmonious 
record  of  all  the  message  of  the  four  Gospels;  but  here  we 
have  the  words  or  sayings  of  Jesus  compiled  topically,  with- 
out extraneous  matter,  so  that  the  reader  finds  at  a  glance 
all  that  Jesus  said  upon  any  given  subject — one  is  surprised 
to  find  how  extended  and  varied  are  the  themes  treated. 
The  book  meets  a  distinct  want. 


PRACTICAL  CHRISTIANITY 


HAROLD  BEG B IE 

Twice-Born  Men 

A  Clinic  in  Regeneration. 

lamo,  cloth,  net  $1.25. 

A  footnote  in  narrative  to  Prof.  Win.  James'  "The 
Varieties  of  Religious  E)xperience." 

Studies  in  the  phenomena  of  conversion  from  the  stand- 
point  of   the   student   of  human  nature. 

Prof.  William  James,  of  Harvard:  "Mr.  Begbie's  book  is 
a  wonderful  set  of  stories  splendidly  worked  up.  It  certainly 
needs  no  preface  from  me.  I  might  as  well  call  my  book  a 
foot-note  to  his.  I  am  proud  of  the  dedication  and  of  the 
references  and  I  wish  the  book  a  great  success." 

Prof.  George  A.  Coe,  of  Union  Theological  Seminary:  "I 
like  the  book  greatly.  It  gives  concrete  data  and  that  is 
what  both  the  psychologist  and  religionist  needs.  As  I  read, 
I  found  myself  marking  the  margins  and  singling  out  pass- 
ages for  my  own  scientific  use." 

JAMES  L   VANCE 

Tendency  :   The  Effect  of  Trend  and  Drift 

in  the  Development  of  Life. 

Net  $1.25. 

A  series  of  discussions  of  formative  influences  in  char- 
acter construction,  from  a  practical  and  sympathetic  stand- 
point. Dr.  Vance's  work  among  young  men  enables  him 
to  speak  authoritatively.  To  this  he  adds  insight  and  sym- 
pathy, 

SIR  JOSEPH  COMPTON-RICKETT 


Origins  and  Faith 


8vo,  cloth,  net  $1.50. 

A  series  of  essays,  philosophical  and  theological,  written 
by  this  eminent  statesman  and  layman  on  the  fundamentals 
of  belief.  It  is  a  frank  examination  and  apologetic  for 
Christianity,  by  one  who  is  well  known  now  as  the  author  of 
the  erstwhile  anonymous  books  "The  Christ  Ttat  is  to  Be" 
and  "Pro  Christo  et  Ecclesia." 

EDWIN  F.  HALLENBECK 

The  Passion  for  Men 

l6mo,   cloth,    net   40c. 
A  series  of  straightforward  talks  on  the  imperative  duty 
of  soul   winning,  by  the  recent  associate  pastor  of  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,   New  York. 


EVANGELISTIC 


J.    WILBUR   CHAPMAN 

Another  Mile.    Rev1."a1  i^f^'on.. 

New  Popular  Edition.      Paper,   net  25c.      Regular   Edition, 

i2mo,  Cloth,  net  75c. 

"Ten  evangelistic  addresses,  which  have  been  used  to  ad- 
vantage by  this  great  leader  of  modern  revival  movements, 
lliey  bear  the  marks  of  ethical  convictions,  great  love  for 
souls,  insight  into  the  meaning  of  the  Scripture,  vivid  and 
pathetic  illustrations." — Westerfi  Christian  Advocate. 
Edited  by   WALT  HOLCOMB 

Popular  Lectures  of  Sam  Jones 

i2mo,  Cloth,  net  75c. 

"Sam  Jones  knew  well  how  to  strike  out  from  the 
shoulder  against  liquor  and  sin  and  all  sorts  of  meanness. 
His  original  and  strikingly  characteristic  style  come  out 
forcibly  in  these  addresses.  Ihere  is  plenty  of  laugh  in  the 
book  and  plenty  of  hard  horse  sense." — Zion's  Herald. 
PAUL  J,   GILBERT 

The  King's  Greatest  Business 

Introduction  by   Charles   M.   Alexander.      Net   75c. 

The  author  of  "Conductor  Jim"  tells  of  many  striking 
incidents  and  results  of  personal  work  as  related  by  promi- 
rent  Christian  workers.  Charles  M,  Alexander  says:  "Mr. 
Gilbert  is  a  successful  soul-winner.  Only  the  man  who  has 
done  the  work  can  accurately  tell  others  how  to  do  it.  His 
buck  deals  with  a  subject,  deep,  vital  and  far-reaching." 
MELVIN   E,    TROTTER 

Jimmy  Moore  of  Bucktown.     A  Story 

of  work  m  the  Slums,  and  of  the  Power  of 
the  Christ  Life  through  a  Waif  of  the  Street, 

Decorated   Cover,    i2mo,    Cloth,   net   75c. 

Not  only  a  good,  but  a  very  good  book  indeed.  And  the 
best  of  it  is  that  it  tells  a  true  story  in  plain  English — in 
the   English   of  the  very  common  people  it   deals  with. 

YOUNG  MEN  "^ 

JAMES  MADISON'  STIFLER 

The  Fighting  Saint 

i6mo.    Cloth,   net   75c. 

"The  'fighting  saint'  is  a  twentieth  century  warrior, 
analytic,  keen,  suggestive,  fighting  modern  battles  with  mod- 
ern   weapons One    hardly    knows    whether    to    appreciate 

more  highly  its  downright  reality  and  sincerity,  or  its  deep 
brotherly  sympathy  with  the  inward  struggles  of  man  or  its 
keen  yet  genial  insight  into  things  and  folks.  Its  point  of 
view  is  fresh  and  original.  He  who  dips  anywhere  into  the 
book,  or  reads  it  through,  which  he  can  hardly  help  doing, 
is  sure  of  a  wake-up  to  his  brains,  and  a  stimulus  to  his 
imagination." — Sunday  School   Times. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


1    1012  01232  2709 


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